> Can we see through the doors?
> "Unless you know what it's like in there, I think keeping up the guise we've got going would be best."
> Point at the bullet machine on one of the soldiers' backs.
> "Or do you think we should grab one of those?"
> "Do you know how?"
> Shrug.
> "In that case, I don't know how else to prepare for a situation we know nothing about, aside from keeping on what we're doing."
> "Yeah. Let's do this."
> Oh crap, the guards' bodies are probably still visible, aren't they?
> Hold up our hands in protest.
> Resume the fake voice if we dropped it.
> "Wait! They'll be okay! They-"
> Have another short coughing fit.
> Nothing for it, then.
> Resume normal voice and shoot some arrowheads straight up into the air.
> "Hey! No one's calling anyone!"
> Resume a normal conversation tone.
> "A lot of things. But most immediately, I want everyone to calm down so we can talk like civilized people."
> Shake our head.
> "They're just out cold. I don't shoot to kill. They'll be okay soon enough, though they might be sore."
> Is Kasen's arm still wrapped?
> Give a small, slightly bemused smile.
> "Actually, I'm not sure there's much I can ask of you, really."
> Gesture toward Kasen.
> "How's she doing?"
> Nod.
> "Good, I'm glad to hear that. In whatever you're planning on doing, though, just remember that people don't have to be human to be people."
> Frown.
> "Only if she's close to waking up. Has she woken up at all since arriving?"
> "Can she be woken up, then?"
> Take a look at the person on the floor.
> "I don't know, actually."
> "She won't be a danger to herself as long as I'm here. Is there something wrong with your sleeve?"
> Has the woman on the floor moved?
> "Then why do you keep playing with them?"
>"Listen, I'm here to retrieve my companion. If I can do that peacefully, all the better, and if you're fiddlingwith some sort of weapon the chances of that go down.
> "So obviously I'm going to be noticing things like that. Or like your friend there on the floor, doing who-knows-what."
> "Can you stand?"
> Frown.
> "VIVIT, could you help her back up?"
> "Not unless you give me a really good reason to, like setting off that alarm or whatever. I'd rather not hurt people that aren't the problem."
> "I'm still mulling over what to do with the woman on the table. But I do know something even more important."
> Frown again.
> "I need to...have a little chit-chat with Sombraluz."
> Raise an eyebrow.
> "VIVIT, what seems to be the problem?"
> Keep the eyebrow raised while looking at the phone's owner with an otherwise neutral expression.
> Look bak at Ruukoto and nod.
> "All right, then. Return the phone once our task is complete, but hold onto it for the time being."
> Sigh.
> "This would be a lot easier if it were actually me you're afraid of."
> "Let's be honest. What are you more afraid of? Me?"
> Gesture toward Kasen.
> "Or the consequences of failure with something this important?"
> Give a wry look.
> "Yeah, that's what I figured."
> Look back at Kasen.
> "You do know why she's here, don't you? Not the specific details behind her arrival. Why Sombraluz went there in the first place."
> "It's more important than you might think. But!"
> Smack a fist downward into an open palm, like we have an idea (rather than we're trying to look threatening.
> "I have an idea that I think may work for everyone."
> Point at Kasen.
> "Wake her up, please."
> Nod.
> "In the meantime , tell me where Sombraluz is."
> Nod again.
> "VIVIT, I may ask you to write that down, so I know what to look for."
> "I haven't decided if you're going to come with me yet or not."
> "Maybe. I may also just go by myself. Make sure you're not in her line of vision when she wakes up."
> Nod one last time, then wheel ourselves closer to the table and wait for Kasen to wake up.
> "Wait, what was that?"
> Look over at Ruukoto. Does she look distressed at all?
> If not, given an uncertain frown, then nod and wait for this minute to pass.
> Remove our translator and hold it in our lap.
> "Kasen?"
> "It's me. Kisume. Can you stay calm? The situation is really weird."
> "Okay. As bizarre as this will sound, we're not in Gensokyo anymore. The people speak a different language. I look different right now. And the VIVIT here with us is a different VIVIT than the one earlier."
> Could we tell anything from their tones?
> "It's true. The first VIVIT drugged us. I'm sorry...it's my fault you're involved."
> "Yeah, I figured. Gotta wake up, though."
> "Welcome to Kosa. It's all downhill from here."
> "Yeah. You will be for a while, even after you wake up fully."
> Give Kasen some time to wake up and have the chance to look around.
> "It's called a medical lab. I'm not sure what the machinery does."
> "When VIVIT drugged us, you got most of it. The people here took you to this room to examine you, I guess."
> "This VIVIT is. Not sure about the other three. They're doctors, but...this world is really complicated."
> "I understand. All that stuff's not important right now, though. Take your time."
> "I think so, but take your time. Does anything feel really wrong?"
> Nod
> "You've been out for a while. But they might be able to fix that."
> Turn to Ruukoto.
> "VIVIT, can you ask the doctors if they can do anything for grogginess?"
> Turn back to Kasen.
> "Sorry. All you can do is wait."
> "Right."
> Put the translator back on.
> "Here is my idea, doctors. You wanted to know more about this woman? Now you can just ask her."
> Blink.
> "...Maybe? It's not like she's that much different from a human."
> Take the translator off.
> "They speak a different language. I have a machine that lets me speak it too."
> "Don't worry about it. You're still a bit out of it."
> Put the translator back on.
> "Can you run any tests while she's awake?"
> "As long as none of it will really hurt her, I don't think she'll have a problem."
> Turn to Ruukoto.
> "VIVIT, could you ask her? I'd rather not keep taking this thing off and on."
> Nod.
> "Good. Since we're low on time, I'm going to pay Sombraluz a visit. Can everyone here coexist without trying to kill each other while I'm gone?"
> "Might want to get both, just so the guards don't have them. So which door is 3A?"
> Can we see down the hall from here?
> "Yeah, I should probably do that."
> Can we reach the cleaning supplies in the bucket from our seat?
> Do so, then.
> Take out the cleaning supplies and put them on the ground (or lean them up against the table if they're tall enough), then get ourselves settled into the bucket.
> "All right, I'll be back soon. If anyone in this room gets hurt without a damn good reason, heads will roll when I get back."
> Wave back, then look over at one of the doctors.
> "And try learning about her as a person. You might find we're all not so different."
> Float out of the room and head left. Look for a door with the glyphs on the paper.
> Both glyphs match?
> If so, try to slowly open the door.
> There are no doctors in the room?
> Float over to the table part of the curtain and have a listen.
>BTW, was Kasen still wearing her same clothes, including hair bun things?
> Gently open the curtain enough so that we can see the table and the person on the bed.
> Quietly grab the belt.
> Open each pouch, looking for a card key. Use our mental image of the guard's car key as a reference, outside of color.
> Take the purple card out and pocket it, making an effort to minimize further jingling.
> Do we think we could safely carry a shuriken without this belt?
> Carefully take a shuriken from the pocket of them and lay it on the map inside the bucket so as to minimize noise.
> Carefully close the snaps of any pouch we opened. This will make some noise, but it is what it is.
> Grab the belt again. Make sure one hand is gripping the pouch with the shuriken in it, clamping them together so they can't move around.
> Slowly place the belt back on the table where it was before.
> Check one last time on Sombraluz.
> Assuming everything is in order, quietly float toward the door and listen for hallway activity.
> Is there any?
> If not, float out of the room, quietly closing the door behind us. Then head back to Kasen's room.
> How are the doctors taking this?
> Where is Ruukoto?
> Float over to Ruukoto while trying not to disturb Kasen.
> Take off the translator.
> "Yeah. I think it's about time to do this."
> "The professor's coming here eventually, right? It may be best if you all just waited here for them."
> "Didn't we decide that was happening before we got here?"
> "It'd be nice to have backup. But I don't think we can just leave this situation as it is, unless you plan on training her how to use one of those weapons."
> "Oh."
> Frown.
> "Hmm. I guess that's a good point."
> "No. I had forgotten about needing to read things."
> "Well, she can probably shoot danmaku a lot better than I can...I'd hate to leave her alone, but I'm sure she can defend herself."
> "Do you think we could take her with us?"
> "Hmm. Can you disable those weapons, in case the guards wake up before we're finished?"
> Nod.
> "Then maybe we can leave her here, even though communication will be hard. Do those guards have any other weapons?"
> "All right. Maybe we can put those other devices you took from the doctors somewhere where they'd need to get past her to get at them."
> Is Kasen still running and chanting?
> Nod in her direction while still talking to Ruukoto.
> "Do you know how much longer this will take?"
> "Of the chants? How many has she done so far?"
> "When did she start?"
> "Did you tell her about the professor?"
> Look back toward Kasen.
> "Hey, Kasen?"
> "VIVIT and I need to leave to take care of the main obstacle to our going home. If you can hold tight here for a little longer, some other friends will be here later to pick you up. A red-haired woman and a blonde woman."
> "We're also going to leave you with some devices that belong to the nurses. They can have their devices back when those friends arrive, but not before that."
> She's probably still listening. That's fine if we get no response.
> "Do what you have to do to defend yourself, from the doctors and the guards if they wake up. If you're one that actively seeks out the shrine maiden, I'm sure you can hold your own against these lunks."
> Turn back to Ruukoto.
> "I think that's everything. You can probably leave the devices on the table next to her as we leave."
> "Good. And I assume you're keeping the knives."
> "Maybe after all is said and done. You can hang onto them for now."
> "I'll get back in the chair. Can you pack it with the cleaning stuff once I'm out while I talk to our guests?"
> Sorry, self, but we gotta get back to business.
> Float our way back over to the chair, then put our translator back on, remove ourselves from the bucket and reposition ourselves properly in the chair.
> Look back over at the doctors.
> "Sorry for all the interruptions. VIVIT and I must leave now."
> Quickly glance over at the weapons Ruukoto rigged, then look back at the doctors.
> "We'll be leaving my friend in your care. May I assume you know what will happen if those guards or any of you try to use those weapons on her for any reason?"
> "I don't really have a choice."
> "Look. Here's the thing. You see my friend here, and you don't see a person. You don't see a rational being on the same level as you. You see an experiment. A test subject. Someone who's life is worth less to you than the information you could gather by studying her."
> Frown.
> "And if all that weren't bad enough on its own, it's not the worst opinion of her that I've heard since she arrived in Kosa."
> "Even assuming you weren't just waiting until later to do that, you've kept her sedated from the time she arrived until just a few minutes ago because you assumed she'd go crazy and hurt herself or others when she woke up. This despite studying her and concluding she's intelligent. That doesn't seem very respectful of her as a person to me."
> "You had two people just outside your door that could kill her on the spot if she looked at you wrong."
> "Which is why you ask them to come inside the room before waking her up."
> "That's why you use threat of force instead of actual force."
> Frown.
> "Whatever the case, I'm getting distracted from the task at hand. VIVIT and I really need to go. For what it's worth coming from me, my friend here will cooperate with you and only get aggressive in self-defense."
> Has Ruukoto packed the bucket back up yet?
> "If it means anything, I'm sympathetic that you all got involved in this. It's been a series of unfortunate events for a lot of people."
> Look over at Ruukoto.
> "You ready?"
> "Then let's head out."
> Resume the quiet weak voice from before.
> Put on a regretful look.
> "I'm sorry...I just really wanted to see the strange woman."
> How close are we to the guy?
> Is there anyone else in the room?
> Sigh.
> "Yes, I know...All right, VIVIT, bring me over to him."
> Start pretending to fish through a pocket as we get wheeled toward the man.
> Are we in good shooting range now?
> Did we drop the fake voice with our last line of dialogue?
> "...It was worth a shot..."
> What kind of shooting range are we at now?
> Give a slight grin.
> "You ask me for identification, then ask me who I am?"
> "No, I'm saying that you'd learn who I am from the identification. Ah, there it is."
> Close our hand into a fist inside the pocket.
> Bring our closed hand out and point it toward his face.
> As soon as the fist is aimed at his face, open our hand and fire a few arrowheads at his face.
> Point at him with our non-firing hang while firing more arrowheads at his torso!
> Keep pointing at the man, but don't fire again just yet.
> "VIVIT, if you would."
> "Check to make sure he's out and can't activate an alarm."
> Was this guy behind a desk?
> If so, are we behind it at present?
> "Can you hide him behind the desk?"
> Wheel ourselves backwards until we're not behind the desk anymore.
> Do we remember where our stuff was theoretically being held relative to this medical bay?
> "Okay, let's get out of here."
> "Do you think we could make it to where they're holding my stuff, get it, and make the elevator before someone sets off an alarm?"
> "Will alarms affect the elevators working?"
> Frown.
> "I think we have to go for the grand prize, then, and hope the professor can get my stuff."
> "Not yet. I was thinking of trying in the elevator. Maybe I should now."
> Nod, then press and hold the button on the translator.
> "Hello?"
> Let the button go.
> Look at Ruukoto.
> "Nothing."
> "Let's just head to the elevator, then."
> Smile and gently nod in her direction.
> Do we recognize the voice?
> Do we hear anything unusual?
> Listen around for a couple of seconds.
> Assuming we don't hear anything unusual, say "I don't think so. What do you hear?"
> "Oh, that?"
> Tap the earpiece of our translator a couple of times.
> "That's just this thing, sorry. It doesn't always work perfectly."
> "It's been knocked around a few times. Almost ran over it once by accident. I'm a little clumsy..."
> nod.
> "I'm heading back now."
> "I haven't been here very long...I live-"
> Cut ourselves off with another coughing fit. While coughing, beckon Ruukoto a couple of times, pointing at the guard with the same time.
> Give ourselves a couple of breaths once our coughing fit concludes.
> Take on a slightly weaker voice, as if we are being careful not to trigger another coughing fit.
> "...Thank you, VIVIT."
> Nod with a small smile.
> "Thank you, and you too. VIVIT, let's go."
> Whisper in return.
> "Can I make it quiet?"
> Press and release the button again.
> Keep whispering.
> "...Whoops."
> Keeeeeeeep whispering!
> "Let's just keep going, I guess."
> Pull out Sombraluz's card and hand it to her.
> "You have the knowledge."
> "Can't think of a better card we can get, unless you think the guard's will get to those top two."
> "Any idea what's on the highest floor Sombraluz's can access?"
> "Might as well take a look, then."
> Keep our voice down.
> "Fancy."
> "You can still read, at least. Let's take a peek out, see if anyone's here."
> Nod.
>" Let's roll."
> So they see us?
> Shit.
> Might as well let them come up to us.
> "Right."
> Fish through our pockets, with a slowly dawning look of horror on our face.
> "Oh no. Oh no."
> Turn to Ruukoto.
> "VIVIT, have you seen mine?"
> "No, that's not it. Wait!"
> Take the Purple Card and show it to the guard that spoke.
> "I have a message from Agent Sombraluz!"
> "I got it from him. He's in the medical lab in pretty rough shape."
>How many soldiers are in the room?
>How much danmaku can we emit at once?
> Did we get our spelllcard back somehow?
> Shrink back in the chair a tiny bit.
> "He said his radio broke. But we hid one of his shuriken in the bottom of the bucket in case that card wasn't good enough."
> Jab a finger at the bucket.
> "Take a look if you don't believe me!"
> ...We DID leave that shuriken in the bucket, right?
> How close to firing range are these two guys?
> Are the other two soldiers in the room still visible?
> Put fist to palm like we just had an idea.
> "I know! I think I must have left my identification back at the medical lab."
Could we throw demonfire on the far guards,
>Well Bucket「Well Destructor」
>, can we pump out so much danmaku we can't be seen, and in a short amount of time?
> Are there any windows visible?
>throw demonfire at one of the far guards, then danmaku to the face at the two near guards
> Would the fire even reach that far in any expedient amount of time?
> Adopt a worried look.
> Put our hands up with palms out as if in a defensive position, but with palms aimed at the heads of the near guards. Glance back and forth to sell the 'worried innocence' we're trying to convey.
> "No, wait! That has an explanation!"
> "Eek!"
> While shrieking, shoot several arrowheads at the head of each guard!
> Does the staggering soldier have any obvious non-armor, non-helmet openings?
> How visible is the midsection given the stagger?
> What about his head?
> Adjust our hand to aim toward an uncovered part of his head and fire several more arrowheads.
> "You two! Move and they die!"
> Put our arms up in the air with a very small smirk.
> "Fine, fine. Need four of you to take a crippled girl, eh?"
> Open our hands if they're not open already.
> "Look at my hands! Do you see any weapons to drop?!"
> Make a short show out of shaking both of our sleeves out toward the ground.
> Once the show is done, put our hands back in the air.
> "See? I don't have anything!"
> Slowly roll each sleeve up to our shoulders, then put our hands back in the air once we're done.
> "I told you, I don't have any weapons! And how would I use any weapons with my hands in the air anyway?!"
> "Just knocked 'em out! They'll be fine later!"
> How is 'a couple of yards' in shooting range terms, given that these guys are very suspicious right now?
> Where are our palms pointed?
> So we can say they're pointed outward at the guards, then?
> Are they on opposite sides of us?
> Are they both still pointing weapons at us?
> I'm confused. Can I get a rundown of the positions of the guards, the surrounding walls and Ruukoto relative to ourselves? Reference memory for anything we can't immediately see instead of looking around.
> "...You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
> Shrug as best we can given the circumstances.
> "Fine. It's magic."
> "Told you. Want me to do it again?"
> "Or you'll shoot the crazy crippled foreign girl, right? That'll go over well in the ambassadorial wing."
> Screaming? That sounds good. Let's do that. A lot.
> Can we see anything? Or does it hurt too much?
> Try opening our eyes.
> "Uuuuhhhhhhhhh..."
> Might as well let them finish the job. Not like they're gonna find any weapons...though that yellow card might be a problem...
> How are we at shooting danmaku when this beaten up?
> "...uhhhh...oh man..."
> Did we get those words out?
> Try to ball our hands into fists, like we're grabbing the air in our palms.
> Unfist the hands.
> "...what the hell was...that..."
> "...told you...don't have one..."
> "...if you think...it'll do any good...be a big man...shoot me again..."
> "...you really think...if I had one...I still wouldn't...give it up...?"
> "...when I die...and there's no weapon...how will you...explain it...?"
> "...I can...prove the magic...by floating."
> Can we see both guards?
> If so, how close are they?
> How free are our arms?
> Grit through the pain to hoist ourselves up into the air a couple of inches.
> "...Funny name...when I'm not the one...that shoots to kill."
> Settle ourselves back down in the chair, assuming that's where we were.
> "Magic."
> "Wanted to find out why my home's next on the domination list."
> "She's simply repaying her debt for drugging me."
> How far is this guy from us?
> Is he presently aiming his weapon at us?
> Can we pinpoint the origin of the massive pain yet?
> Which shoulder?
> Do we feel focused enough to aim?
> The soldier behind us is presumably using both hands to hold us, yes?
> Sigh.
> "All right, all right..."
> Wearily put our left hand up in a 'stop, I surrender' kind of fashion while saying the previous line. Make sure our pose ends up wwith our palm aimed at the soldier's face.
> "I get it...when I found that VIVIT was a machine person, I..."
> As we start to say 'person' in the line above, fire off several arrowheads with our left hand, as well as we can muster, aimed at the guard's face!
> "Ahh!"
> Quick! Spray unaimed danmaku everywhere!
> While splattering everything with bullets, ball our left hand into a fist and try to swing our left arm up so we slam our fist at the space behind us over our left shoulder!
> Pull up, pull up!
> Try to twist ourselves so we'd land on our left side if we hit the ground.
> Is it a male voice?
> Roll over onto our back.
> Without taking the time to steady our aim, as we swing ourselves around to land on our back, use our left han to fire another volley of arrowheads in the direction of the voice.
> How did he land? On his back?
> Is Ruukoto visible?
> How visible is the soldier's head?
> Where is his weapon?
> Take a better aim with our left hand and shoot at his legs. And maybe a little bit between the legs.
> "...Check them."
> Grab our right shoulder with our left hand and try to deaden the pain.
> "Make sure they're out. And get that purple card back."
> How empty is the bucket?
> "Should we try keeping up the wheelchair facade?"
> Very very very gently try to move our right arm.
> Pick ourselves up off the floor, balancing with the left arm rather than the right, and make our way over to the bucket to take a proper look at it.
> "Good."
> Take the bottle of blue liquid out of the bucket, then float/climb ourselves into it. Home sweet home kinda!
> Exits
> Pick the map back up.
> Did Ruukoto get the purple card?
> "Which way looks good to you?"
> "And is there anything you can do about my shoulder?"
> "Let's do that, then, if it's quick."
> "Yeah, let's."
> East
> Lower our voice.
> "Any of these doors have signs you can read?"
> Point at North 3 with our left arm.
> "Can you listen at that door?"
> "Good enough for me."
> North 3
> Close the door behind us, if we haven't already.
> "So what's this room?"
> "Hmm. Do you think those windows open?"
> Float over to the windows and have a look-see at then.
> "...Could you make it back down to the entrance by yourself if you had to?"
> "I'm wondering about flying up the side of the building."
> "Really? I thought the professor said flight was an advantage here."
> "What if I just hug the opaque walls?"
> "I'll be looking for Emperor Happy, so if i spot him I'll just blast my way in."
> "Oh."
> Beat.
> "Then how do we get to the top floor?"
> "I'm not gonna hide outside if they can shoot me there. Who has top clearance?"
> "Maybe? I don't know the purpose of this floor, or if he would need it."
> "So you think we should wait in here and hope he comes into this room?"
> "Oh, actually."
> Press the button on the communicator.
> "Hello?"
> Press the button again.
> Press.
> "Are you here, then?"
> Press.
>"I...might be able to to," says Ruukoto. "But, I don't know. I think they are going to be rounding up VIVIT. Why?"First mental image: increasing robot population to a nice even number.
> Press.
> "We're on the third-highest floor, but I guess we've caused enough of a disturbance that they're looking for us now."
> Press.
> Press.
> "Woke up my friend. She's expecting you, but Chiyuri should say what I told her to say anyway. Too much medical bay chaos; we couldn't afford the time to get my stuff back."
> Press.
> "She's fine. I knocked out a doctor and two guards and pissed off three more doctor in a surgery room, or something. The room with my friend."
> "Yeah. If you're feeling mean when you go that way, Sombraluz is in 3A. Big ol' bandage on his head."
> Press.
> "Any idea how we can get to the top two floors?"
> Press.
> Press.
> "We're hiding in a sitting room."
> Press.
>We're on the third-highest floor, but do we know which floor that is? The seventh perhaps?
>We have violet-level clearance, so maybe we need Ultraviolet to get up?
>Have we seen any people wearing white clothing?
> Press.
> "Very fancy decor. Lots of doors in the first hallway we fled to. This sitting room was behind one. It has windows."
> Press.
> Did we actually have to do anything to turn off the device?
>"Uhhh, ok".
>Press the off button on the device.
>Count to ten.
> Give a small smirk.
> Point down at the floor.
> "That."
> "I assume they can defend themselves?"
> Nod.
> "Good."
> Press the button.
> "Sound like you're having fun."
> Press.
> Press.
> "Just don't do that to my friend or my stuff."
> Press.
> Press.
> "'Kay. Breaking off, unless you have a way to fix getting shot."
> Press.
> "Yeah, in the right shoulder."
> Press.
> Take a look at our right shoulder.
>Press.
>"S'not really that bad. I ain't seein' much blood. 'sides what got on the outfit from when it did happen. I'm guessin' I'm more durable than you folks due to bein' what I am."
>Press.
>Aren't Youkai and the like, ourself included, rather resilient to things like this?
>We should look under the outfit though, just to be on the safe side.
>Press.
>"Yeah, just looks like I got shanked with a pair of sharpened chopsticks. Nothing big really, gimme a while and it'll probably be good as new."
>Press.
>Can we crane our neck back far enough to see the other side of our injured shoulder?
> Press.
> "Smashing. I think that's it, then."
> Press.
> Press.
> "Happy hunting."
> Turn the device off and look at Ruukoto.
> "So what do you want to do for the next few minutes? Will the windows still be watched given the chaos downstairs, you think?"
> "So what should we do in the meantime?"
> "I'm not going outside until you think it's a viable option."
> "Then we find somewhere else inside to hide."
> Could we hide in Ruukoto's outfit like we could in Yamame's?
> "Shall we take a look around, then?"
> Go over to the door and listen at it.
> If we hear nothing, open the door and take a look out into the hallway.
> Lower our voice.
>" Sounds like something's going on...somewhere."
> "Wanna run in the other direction, then?"
> "I guess we can try another door."
> Float over to the door further away from where we were coming and listen in on that one.
> Open the door and take a look inside.
> "A music room...see anything you like?"
> Float on over toward the far, non-hall door.
>Check painting to make sure it isn't a window.
>Stifle an impressed chuckle. "Lookit the beard on this mug."
>Haven't seen a beard that grand in ages, have we?
> Listen at the door.
> "Hmm..."
> Gently open the door and look inside.
> Wave Ruukoto over.
> Keep a low voice.
> "Listen. Sounds like a lot of people."
> Enter the room and look around properly, looking for doors in particular.
> Point toward the western hall.
> "Sounds like you were right."
> How does the foliage do obscuring the vision of people in the western hall?
> What if someone crawled along the ground?
> Does the ceiling of the western corridor extend all the way to the ceiling of this room?
> Point toward the southern corridor.
> "Fancy a crawl?"
> So we could possibly fly along the wall, rising up over the entry to the western hallway?
> Did we close the door behind us?
> Keep our low voice.
> "What say ye to a little fire in here, after you've reached the other hallway?"
> If we hugged the wall the entire way to the southern hallway, passing above the point where the ceiling of the western hallway dumps into this room, could we travel out of sight by people in the western hall?
> Which wall are we at now?
> Nod.
> "All right. You go on ahead. Once you're there, I'll get something started, then make my way over there myself."
> "Carefully make your way back here, and we'll try the other direction."
> Float up higher so we can see Ruukoto.
> Watch her go with our ears open to those voices.
>Inventory?
> Are the voices coming from the western hall or from the room behind us?
> Float up far enough that we're above the height of the western hall ceiling.
> Take a glance down at the flora immediately below us for anything particularly tall.
> Hurriedly flly alongside the walls until we are above the western hall entrance.
> Is she looking at us or at the southern hallway?
> Shoot a thumbs-up in her direction.
> Get in position and mindset to get the ol' drop on whoever's down the hall as the enter the room. We should be able to time our drop based on footsteps.
> Raise both of our arms into ready-to-fire position.
> When we can hear the feet just about to enter, drop down and land on someone's head, launching point-blank danmaku at any other torsos we see!
> "Nothing personal."
> Shoot at the back of her head.
> Fish through all three of their stuffs to see if we can't find any more card keys, or maybe a knife or two.
> Take a knife, all of the cards, all of the rings of metal keys, the paper package, and the tube with the wheel.
> Fly back up over the maze and toward the southern hall entrance, where Ruukoto should be.
> "Fine."
> Show off the paper package and the wheeled tube.
> "What are these for?"
> "Nah, let's go."
> Head further down the hallway.
> East 1
> "Wow, what's this place?"
> "Huh."
> Point to the chair set by itself.
> "Solo act, maybe?"
> "I guess that makes sense."
> North
> "Nope."
> Close the door.
> East
> Souf
> South, but listen at the door instead of going through.
> Wave Ruukoto over whilst putting a finger from our other hand on our lips.
> Put one hand to our ear and point to the door with the other.
> Speak low as well.
> "Is it a voice you recognize?"
> Press our ear back up against the door.
> Keep voice low.
> "I can't tell what they're on about. Think it's worth busting up?"
> "Hmm...actually, I wonder if they know about us yet. Maybe they could still be tricked."
> "What if you knock on the door and step back, and I get the drop on whoever sticks their head out?"
> "Well...maybe, instead of knocking, if you screamed in your non-VIVIT voice, they'd probably come for that. You could even lie on the floor and act like you were knocked out while I deal with them."
> "Do they sound like people that would know the second group was put down already?"
> Which way does the door open?
> Aside from the door we're at and the door through which we came, are there other exits in this room, and if so, do we know where they might lead?
> "Well, I guess we can just open the door and stroll in like nothing's wrong."
> "I don't know what's a good idea right now. Only one of us stands a chance of knowing who those people are, and that one hasn't thought a single thing suggested so far is a good idea."
> Shrug.
> "Anyway. Is it possible the people in there are ambassadors, maybe? Or would they definitely be military people?"
> Frown thoughtfully for a second in silence.
> "...Eh, what the hell. Fortune favors the bold. I'm going in there. You can stay hiding here if you want, though, since you don't really seem like a combat person."
>"Damn you Isaac Asimov!"
>We ditched our wheelchair before didn't we?
>"Ok, you go in there and get some kind of distraction going, and I'll wait here and listen in until the time is right."
>"Goody-goody is probably more believable coming from you, so go ahead and sweet talk them."
>"Oh, one more thing, make sure to say a number at some point as part of your conversation. I'll take it to mean the number of people in the room. Otherwise I'd have to make assumptions you see."
> "Could you make up a story about spotting me, maybe, so they're not as suspicious of you? Would that be believable?"
> "Okay, then just use your best judgment. You know how to be VIVIT better than me anyway."
> "Well, I suspect that I'll just be hiding out of the doorway on this side of the wall. If I hear trouble, I'll be sure to put an end to it."
> Nod.
> "We've come this far. Nine guards taken down and still going strong. We got this. Just do what you always do when you're VIVIT."
> Float over to being up against the wall so we won't be visible through the doorway if it opens.
> Oh Lord, thirteen people. That might be tough to handle. Hopefully few or no guards...
> Let Ruukoto work her magic.
>Get above the doorframe and wait for her to walk through the door.
> !!! Majesty?
> In flying up above the door, make sure to follow the outside of the door frame, rather than cutting across any part of the open doorway. Also, make sure to settle about seven feet above the top of the doorway.
> Oho, tricky! But one soldier probably means more...Unit 2 must mean a group of soldiers!
> Is this soldier carrying a weapon in their hands?
> Inch away from the wall a little bit to try to stay above the soldier's head, but don't drop down just yet. Don't go too far away from the wall, either, as much as the soldier probably won't go far from the door frame.
> How close is the couch?
> Will this soldier end up facing us?
> Let's stay put, then. If they're running out that far, they must not think there'd be anything above the door frame.
> The second one?
> Is he right below us?
> And we're still a couple of yards above him, right?
> Might as well.
> Drop down on him as quick as possible! Don't be surprised if he dodges out of the way, though.
> Where are the three soldiers and the doorway right now related to our current position?
> Bolt to the left! Ramming speed toward the guy in the doorway!
> How far away is he?
> Did he stumble back all the way through the doorway?
> Put a suddenly panicked look on our face.
> "Look out!"
> Finish the job of railroading through the guy in/through the doorway, aiming for his torso in the process. Be prepared for the collision to knock us off balance.
> "Whoa, geez!"
> Take the reorientation moment to get a look at the proceedings.
> While rebalancing, try floating a bit to the right, in the hopes that we can get the wall behind us.
> So the soldier we smacked into, the two soldiers with Ruukoto, and the three charging at us...is that all that's visible for soldiers?
> Did both of the soldiers charging at us from the left come through the doorway?
> And the one we knocked down. That makes eight soldiers total.
> Well, guess we're not winning a fight. Might as well play it flip.
> Look over to the soldier we ran into.
> "Hey, man, you okay?"
>"Your majesty, it is incredibly difficult to get a royal audience these days.
> Frown.
> "I'm really not that bad a person..."
> Float on over to an empty chair and gently plop the bucket down into it.
> "Kisume. And those shiny digs tell me you're the emperor I've heard about."
> "All that rumbling earlier? That was probably them."
> "Getting home. With no possibility of ever being followed for any reason."
> "...Or having anyone go to my home before I do."
> "...Well, I suppose that may be better than not leaving it at all."
> "I dunno. I've never really been big into being told what to do. I'll have to mull it over."
> "I guess. What does the ambassadorial wing think about all this?"
> Nod.
> "Yeah, figured it was a farce. Still, though, makes me wonder what they might do if they found out about this before it got off the ground."
> "Huh. You don't think they'd act out of fear that they'd be next?"
> "Can't imagine why there would be ambassadors otherwise. Being a puppet ambassador would have to be suicidally humiliating."
> Are there any obvious parts of this guy's body that aren't currently armored?
>"Your majesty, I have to wonder: are you the one who conquered this world? "
>"Then you haven't ventured beyond the veil in your time machine?"
>"I find it odd that, after this much expansion, you haven't encountered a deterring resistance."
>"Let me tell you about Gensokyo, the place where I come from. It is a world within a world, a peaceful garden sealed off from the outside world. We who live there have traditions of weakness too, of using nonlethal attacks and tea parties afterwards. It is a paradise, and I fear that if you invade, it will turn ugly. But I do not fear for our sovereignty. We were sealed off ... because we were dangerous, me being among the least so. Gensokyo is a sleeping dragon, and once awoken it will not be peaceful. The gods who govern us, who live among us, have changed their ways before, and it will not take much for them to change again. I believe that if you see my world for yourself, you will understand. "
>"I like Gensokyo the way it is, not the way it will be should this incident continue."
>Did he say "look AT the window?"
>Get up and look out the window. If we get a chance, stealthily press the SEND button on our earpiece.
> "A lot. I can't even tell where the buildings end."
> "Everything you could need, huh..."
> Give a small, short chuckle.
> "All suits really are the same."
> Turn our head around to look at him.
> "You're right, I didn't answer. The truth is that I don't know if we'd win. I can tell you, though...if I thought we were doomed, I would have spent my time getting to this room killing your guards instead of just knocking them out."
> Shrug.
> "If I'm going down, I'm gonna do it swinging. And I can promise you that you'll see that sentiment a whole lot more in Gensokyo. Maybe you're right, and maybe your your army will take out the gods and the immortals and the invincibles. But it'll cost as many Kosan lives as Gensokyo can muster."
> Nod.
> "I do. You're throwing away your own people's lives to make your name a little brighter and your life a little more luxurious."
> "Does that mean you'll be on the front lines?"
> "It might. This whole thing is your vision, and it's being done on your orders. Seems like you should be putting your well-being on the line for it."
> Raise an eyebrow.
> "Fighting and everything?"
> "I see..."
> Look back out the window.
> "...If I can ask a personal question...out of curiosity, do you have any kids?"
> "I see. Forget about that, then. I'm trying to piece all of this together, so I'd like to do some fact checking. You seem to behave as if your victory is a foregone conclusion, and looking at things, I can certainly understand why. I see nigh endless city out this window, and you talk of the countless people out there ready to fight for you. How much abouts do you think you outnumber Gensokyo's population by?"
> Nod.
> "And you've been specifically scouting Gensokyo for this for a while. A few years, I'd guess?"
> "But you're still much better off than the grand sum of zero knowledge Gensokyo has about Kosa. Outside of maybe the blue-haired traitor, anyway."
> "Just going through the list of things. There's plenty of other stuff to consider. These translator devices give you access to their language while they won't know yours, so that's a communication advantage. Gensokyo's combat system is oriented more around style points, while I'd guess your army's top priority will be getting the job done as fast as possible. And you're right, not everyone in Gensokyo likes each other, so you'd be more unified than them. Can you think of anything else? I'm probably missing something."
> "Right. So you have a numbers advantage, a resources advantage, an information advantage, a tactical advantage, an informational advantage, an organizational advantage, a technological advantage, a communications advantage, the element of surprise, and a litany of other things. Given all that, who will actually be impressed by your victory?"
> "I haven't forgotten that. Rather, I think you've forgotten that breaking through the barrier isn't something you or your Empire did."
> "And what might that difference be, that it nullifies the fact that you wouldn't have access to our world if she hadn't invented it before falling victim to a freak accident that kept her indisposed for several months?"
> Give a small smirk.
> "Your avoidance of the fact that your plan would be impossible without her work is noted."
> "The point is that this grand scheme of yours boils down to stealing a machine the empire could never have created by itself from its own citizen, who gets declared all but persona non grata afterward, and that machine is then used to win a fight that no one on this side of the barrier expects the empire to lose. How is that impressive? How will being nothing more than a grand-scale thug bring your world forward?"
> "So it doesn't matter what happens as long as you look good. Are you really going to be proud of that? Does 'moving the world forward' mean adopting superficial attitudes?"
> Turn all the way around an look at Canus properly.
> "You really believe that now, don't you? Suits really are all the same. You get into power, and then the power gets into you and you forget who you are."
> What do we know of Yukari Yakumo?
> How large was the machine that brought us here, in terms of internal capacity?
> Roll our eyes.
> "Fine, fine. Let's say you do cram your entire army into that small machine thing and go to Gensokyo. If the machine gets damaged or destroyed while you're over there, how do you get back?"
> "With what resources? Gensokyo's not exactly rich with outside world technology."
> "You're gonna sit there and hope resources show up? I don't know a whole lot about outside world technology, but that doesn't sound like a very reliable plan. Especially when the only person alive that knows how to make one of those things from scratch would probably rather see you stuck in Gensokyo for the rest of your days."
> What do we know of Utsuho's abilities and her keeper in the Earth Spirit Palace?
> "And what's going to happen here in Kosa while you're gone?"
> "There certainly are. Especially since I know your agent hasn't given you a full report on the denizens of the underground, which will probably lead you guys to disaster once you show up in Gensokyo."
> "Did you scout tell you about a hell raven that could burn all of Gensokyo to the ground by herself if she really wanted to?"
> "She actually went kinda crazy once and wanted to burn all of topside to the ground. From what I hear, she could've done it, too. I imagine she could blow your machine to pieces from a safe distance high in the sky."
> "Well, she's a friend of a friend. I imagine my friend has noticed I'm missing by now, because I never ever leave the underground. There's a reasonable chance they're looking for me right now."
> "What kind of stuff you looking for, then? A physical description?"
> "Huh, lessee. Really tall, long black hair, wings, starry cape, stone foot, big orange stick on one arm. Giant eye on her chest, which is already big enough, if you know what I mean. Used to be nutso, but she's calmed down a lot. Still, I hear no one serves her alcohol out of fear for everyone's safety."
> Facepalm.
> "Oh yeah. I had forgotten those two had taken a liking to the surface recently. Well, this is what they get, I guess."
> Do we know about such a shrine?
I could understand if we were still playing Iku, but we're playing Kisume. Does she even have the inclination, let alone the ability, to win this conversation?
> Shrug.
> "You could probably teach me about it. I hear there are some gods in it, fairly new. That's about it. Never been there myself."
> Raise an eyebrow.
> "I'm sure you know more about them than me. I don't really do topside."
> Cross our arms.
> "You should ask your scout about those. Seems like he knows plenty about them, given he dumped me in some corner of the system I'd never been in after he threw me headfirst into a wall."
> "Hey, he got fair warning!"
> "He did! I let him know I was coming and everything! It's not like it was a silent ambush."
> "Well, someone that doesn't live underground moved me, because there were some rocks there when I got back, and they weren't from anywhere around that part of the cave."
> "I wasn't aware Gensokyo had a capital. Didn't notice one the last time I went topside, and none of the other undergrounders ever mentioned one."
> ...That would be Higan, wouldn't it?
> "Oh. Ohhhhh. You must mean-"
> Stop for a second, then look away with a frown.
> "I don't want to talk about that place. It ain't no capital, and that's all that matters."
> "It's the worst place ever, is what it is. It's all full of suits."
> Is it actually possible to cross the river without a ferrywoman's assistance?
> "Well, if you must know, it's where the afterlife destinations of souls are determined."
> "Why would I start lying to you now?"
> "Not much else to say. Can't get there unless you work there or die, and even with the latter you need help from someone that works there. No reason to go there anyway, it's full of dead people and suits."
> Shake head.
> "I've already said too much for my own good. Bad memories of that place. Don't like talking about it."
> "...Yeah."
> Those would be undelivered souls, wouldn't they?
> "Those are souls waiting for their afterlife destiny. They get taken across the river by ferryworkers, and then they're brought before a judge that reviews their entire life's work and decides if they get a good afterlife, a bad afterlife, or reincarnation as something else, like a flower or an animal."
> This is all presumably accurate, yes?
> How often do human souls get reincarnated as humans?
> "Not in a territorial sense like what's going on here, no. Dying in Gensokyo means you get judged there, though, so unless you want several lifetimes of torment you generally try to play by their rules."
> "Pretty much."
> She's not wearing a headset thing, is she?
> "Wow. Uh. Didn't expect you here."
> Float on back to the seat where we were before and plop back down.
> Look at Sariel with a raised eyebrow.
> "You up for hearing about it?"
> Turn back to the Emperor and shrug.
> Give a look of dawning realization.
> "...Oh. I see what's going on here."
> Turn back to Sariel with the smallest smirk.
> "You might like to know I stormed my way out of there quite a while ago. But I think you should actually answer his question regardless."
> Chuckle a little bit.
> "And you've told him why you're so familiar with Higan, right?"
> Grin a little wider.
> "Did you tell him what you did while you were there? Or why you aren't doing it anymore?"
> How much do the oni care about the prospects of Higan, as far as we know?
> How aware are we of Eiki going to Gensokyo and bitching at people to get them to improve their lives?
> Nod.
> "Interesting, interesting."
> Turn back to the Emperor.
> "Well, outside of the whole 'capital' business, I think you'll find our two descriptions of Higan aren't incongruous, as much as they're drastically different spins."
> ...Ugh...we...we might end up having to go back to Higan for this.
> "Well, you could consider that she says she's bitter about being 'disgraced as a stepping stone to another's success' while telling you it's a good idea to run roughshod on the place, which could disrupt the afterlife cycle for countless uninvolved souls. To me, that rather sounds like using both you and they as stepping stones for her successful revenge against the place. Makes me wonder how genuine the sentiment is."
> Would there have been paperwork filed regarding the Sariel incident?
> How is the tree cover near the Sanzu River?
> "I don't see how the semantics of whether or not Higan is some sort of capital would stop Kosa from seeing its destiny through. A hole still gets punched in reality and a large group of extremely strong individuals from another world still get subjugated. As for the details of my origins, I can disclose them if it really matters that much. I only haven't because they're not pleasant memories."
> "Very well. Never would have thought the first person outside of Higan I admitted this to would be a ruler in another world. Funny how things work out."
> Deep breath.
> "I was born there. One of my parents is a ferryworker, like Sariel here used to be. The other...became the judge for Gensokyo's souls."
>"I got tired of conforming to their expectations."
> "It's like I told you earlier. She got the power, became a suit, and forgot who she was. Nothing mattered but the job."
> "Anyway. I agree with the general idea that anyone would say anything to avoid getting their home conquered. But you're confident Gensokyo and Higan don't yet know about Kosa, yes? What if you could get Higan's take on Sariel's history there without exposing them to Kosa's presence or intentions?"
> "I have a couple of ideas, but there's one important factor that needs to be considered. I know VIVIT can speak our language. Can she read our writing?"
> "Well, if there's anyone in Kosa that's not in this room and can read our writing, they would help tremendously. Anyway. I never learned the details of what went down to lead to Sariel getting reassigned, but I can guarantee paperwork was filed about it, because it was considered a scandal. If I can get copies of that paperwork for you in the presence of someone you trust to be loyal to you, while I assure the Higan representative that your person is innocent, and then you have someone you trust that can read the paperwork do so, you will have your untarnished information."
>"Speaking of the sky being ripped asunder, that wasn't you guys, was it?"
> "Would having the judge read it out loud do, then, as long as she is kept in the dark while reading it? Judging from Sariel's confirmation of her existence, I think it safe to assume she wasn't the one Sariel claims wronged her."
> "I figure that once you've had the chance to hear Higan's reasoning, you can make the call on whether you think she was unfairly deposed like she claims, or if her removal was justified and she took advantage of her advisory role here and is using you to get revenge on Higan for her by lying to you about what it really is."
> "Oh, right. What I'm thinking is going to the shores of the river there with, like, a guard and a VIVIT, or something. I'll tell the ferry worker there that they're friends from the outside world, and that someone matching Sariel's description has shown up in their home and started causing problems, and they want as much info on her as possible to deal with her."
> "What, you think I know how to use that machine myself? There should be plenty of other people coming on this trip. People of all allegiances. Enough people that anyone that so much as thinks about double-crossing anyone else will be dead before they hit the ground. Everyone else can stay in the ship and watch."
> "First time, no one was watching. Second time, your guards got too close to defend themselves and weren't ready to kill me if I tried anything funny. This time, you'd have me in plain view at a distance, with several hostages to boot if you want them."
> Nod.
> "All that aside, if you want an opinion of Higan from someone that wasn't a part of this conversation, you could ask the other Gensokyo native here, down in the medical bay."
>"They won't surrender, but they may accept a cessation of hostilities and armistice."
> Look over at Ruukoto.
> "Uhh..."
> Turn back to the Emperor.
> "I can probably get them to stand down, then. But I can't guarantee a surrender."
> "I think I'm set, yeah. Will everyone here be coming with?"
> Do we know which of the four card keys is Sombraluz's?
> "Oh, wait. Before we go."
> Put the three non-Sombraluz purple cards, the three key rings, the knife, the cigarettes and the lighter on the table.
> "These are from those three guards at the entrance to the garden maze room thing. Don't think I have any use for them now."
> Nod.
> "With that done, let me know when and where and who with I need to go."
> Give a respectful nod in the Emperor's direction, then float up a bit out of the chair and start following the soldier that spoke, beckoning Ruukoto to follow us.
> "Exactly as stated. We'll get the professor to stand down. The circumstances are bizarre enough for Kosa that I think it's warranted."
> Keep our voice down ourselves.
> "Higan's garbage. Sorry it got dumped on your country. Just one more thing Higan sucks at."
> "It's like I said in there. She worked in Higan, and then there was a scandal, and then she didn't anymore."
> Shrug.
> "I was never privy to the details."
> Do we remember anything else similar to that scandal happening?
> "Didn't happen often."
> We really didn't hear any details at all about it, did we?
> Have we been moving this whole time?
> "No idea. Really. It was never my concern, so I never looked into it."
> "Oh, I'm pretty sure she will. Me being a part of this turns her entire revenge plan on its ear."
> "Wait until she gets exposed, then let Canus deal with her as he sees fit."
> "I don't see why not."
> "Gensokyo and Higan are a little more than Sariel by herself."
> "Been wondering that myself. Don't know if we'll ever find out. I don't think she'd tell us."
> Is Sariel within earshot yet?
>Shank Ruukoto while shouting "FOR THE EMPEROR!"
> Shake head.
> "Nada. Sorry."
> "I think he's better than Yumemi gives him credit for, but suits are still suits. I bet Sariel got into his head, though."
> "It's still important that we don't tell the professor or anyone else what went on in that room, though. If we want to maximize our chances of convincing the Emperor that Sariel's been using him, we need opinions as unbiased as possible. The fewer people that know, the smaller the odds it slips out to someone important."
> "Then we tell her there's a good chance the Emperor changes his mind, but that chance dies if we talk too much about it."
> "Aside from what was discussed in that room? Only the standard stuff you'd keep secret using your best judgment."
> "Good."
> Well, it is what it is.
> "You got it."
> Float on inside ourselves and plant ourselves in a corner so we're out of the way as much as possible.
> Was he in the room earlier?
> "In general, or specifically toward ending all this?"
>Shank everyone and stack the corpses, to save space.
>Shank Hanzo K.