>Okay, so then the "left" is the direction the sound comes from?
>Continue down the tunnel.
> Approach the crystals.
> Keep going, we might be able to hear the water louder again.
>Is it louder than before?
> Does the sound of water become louder when we're going right or left?
> Keep going, keeping an ear out for the watery sounds.
> Do the curves in the tunnel seem to follow any kind of pattern?
>Try going back to the previous distention, we aren't stuck in an infinite corridor are we?
>At least this one is devoid of gelatinous cubes, damnable GM cliches!
>Sit down for a second and wrap our head around the wasted time.
>Sigh.
>Try to pinpoint the exact location that it loops.
>Search around there manually.
>Do we think we can manipulate the border between then end of this loop and the beginning of itself?
>Pry at it gently and see how it reacts.
>What are the risks of just ripping it open and running through?
>Well then, open it (though not quite rip) and run through quickly.
>Get up and look around, specifically behind us.
>Oops...
>Guess we have to go forward now, so let's get our bearings and do so.
> Can we still hear the dripping?
> Can we even hear our own footsteps?
> If not, knock on the crystal and listen for a sound.
>Peer down the corridor to the left.
>Peer down the corridor to the right.>Peer down the corridor to the left, and shake it all about.
>Hopefully it has an end.
>Investigate the chamber.
> Are there any paths within this chamber that lead upward so we can make use of the features we've seen above us?
> How difficult would it be to approach the pool without slipping into it due to the curved surface of the floor?
> Does it seem like the pool formed from drips from the giant central stalactite?
> Are we still wearing our socks?
> How wet does the ground look between here and the pool? Wet socks are mighty unpleasant.
> Is our improv toga long enough that it brushes along the ground?
> Take off our socks and put them on our chest, one sock on each. Hopefully we don't end up permanently stretching the elastic too wide...
> Once we're satisfied with how secure the socks are (i.e. they won't just slip off if we lean forward; bunch them up as necessary so that there isn't a substantial portion of sock dangling from either one), make our way carefully down to the water.
>Cup a small amount of water in our hands and try it.
>Drink our fill.
> Are there any obvious exists beyond the one that we used to enter the chamber?
> How wide is the room, and what is the shape of the base?
> Walking around the pool, make our way out of the chamber using the opposite-side exit.
> Congratulate the parser for this series.
> No, seriously, I knew the A-Z Machine was good just by lurking through Iku Quest, the rest of the series still exceeded all expectations. I'm still pretty :o over the fact that the Broadsword from Nue Quest was on Kourindou since Patchy Quest and I'm still mulling over the fact what would've happened had players got it sooner.
> Take the leftmost tunnel.
>My bad ^_^'
>Can we see anything past the darkness?
>Poke at the darkness, see if it acts in the same manner as the darkness around the door through which we got to this strange place.
>Tentatively attempt to walk on it.
>Can we see anything other that floating crystal in the darkness?
>Look around, are we outside of the crystal structure again?
>If so, analyse the extent of the damages.
>Go back down the tunnel and take the right tunnel.
>Poop.
>Go back and try the next tunnel on the right.
>Try going back down this tunnel, then going straight along the tunnel from which it branched. In the opposite direction to the pool-cavern.
>Go back through the pool cavern and take what was the tunnel to the right before (the one that doesn't turn sharply up).
>Can we see anything on the other side of the bridge?
>Do so.
>Also look down upon the destruction we have wrought.
>Cross the bridge, let's see what's down there.
>Is it wide enough to crawl across?
>Well then let's try iteven if it is more crawling.
>Walk over to the chasm and peer into its depths.
>So, it appears that we could climb down the chasm?
>Let's attempt to climb down then.
> To the parser, how exactly does the Insight Points system differ from simply asking if we (as in, Yukari) know of a certain thing?
>Insight: how long until we reach a populated area?
>Make our way carefully down to that tunnel.
> Can we say what it sounds like?
> Assuming that by "the hall" you mean "the tunnel", proceed onwards, being careful as always.
> Is there anything resembling a border between what exists and what doesn't?
>> If so, could we be somehow trapped in a place that's stuck between what exists and what doesn't? Consider this on all places we've been to, especially the Flower Field.>Activate GameShark to get all of our tools back.
> Can we tell if time is actually flowing in this place?
> Proceed onward, keep close track of the sound and where/when we hear it, see if we can identify a similar pattern as the infinite corridor from before.
>Attempt to discern whether this light has to do with one of our tools.
> Approach and get a closer look at the light.
> Does it feel in any way similar to that Purple Light back in the caves?
>Attempt to get a look down the hole.
>Ah, it must be that room from earlier.
>Could we drop down onto the bridge safely?
>Drop down onto the bridge with reasonable caution.
>Are there any bridges or platforms withing dropping distance?
>Begin spying out a safe path down to the light.
>You think you can discern a way to climb down to it. You would have to climb down to the bridge below, then follow it rightward until it crosses over with running perpendicular to it. This one arcs downward a little, and past a stalactite lattice you ought to be able to use as a crude natural ladder down to where it meets with another large stalactite. From there, you can leap down to another bridge, which runs parallel to the ones you're currently on, and and it should bring you to one of the bridges that the light is resting upon.
> Proceed with that plan, then, be extra careful though, can't have ourselves getting hurt.
> Remind me, out of the statues back at the cave, was there any we thought was particularly special? And if so, why?
> Have we ever encountered this lack of flavor/purpose before? Do we know anything of it?
> Can we safely get closer to the light?
> A gap directly below us? Listen again for the water's sound, is it particularly loud? Does it seem to be coming from below us?
> Are we close enough to the gap that we could affect it from here if we so chose?
> ...How likely is it that this entire crystal "palace" is actually one of our tools? We had to manipulate several gaps to get the first one back, we're basically doing the same here.
> Damnit purvis, I now have the kilga syndrome of thinking of the z machine in the middle of important stuff, at least it's a free class ):
> Get as close as possible to the light, being careful as always.
>> Once we're there examine the light closely.
> Can we discern where the water sound is coming from?
> Can we tell what is below us?
> ...Is there any way to go back the way we came?
> Lightly poke the glassy lump with an index finger.
> Was there anything our old tools did not cover, in terms of controlling gaps and the like?
> If we were to create new tools, we'd need to use our powers, right? That would leave us quite exhausted, right?
> Is there any apparent way to interact with this omnipotent bean other than simple physical contact?
> Could we harness it to augment ourselves, perhaps?
> Let's try picking it up, then, and see what happens.
>If we make it into something, can we then un-make it later to get this stuff back?
> Could we make another sentient being? ...Like a Maribel clone?
> How do we actually go about the process of molding this thing?
> Do we have any safe way of holding it other than with our hands?
> Are we capable of that right now without undue strain?
> If so, do so.
> Put our newfound Bean of Bein' inside and close it.
> We will be able to open this again later no matter where we are, yes?
> Okay then. There isn't any more of this stuff around, is there?
> That gap in this chamber is still below us, yes? How far, and is iit visible from our current location?
> Is there an obvious way to get to it from our current location other than jumping down and falling at it?
>Gapwards we go!
>The way with the walking and the jumping.
>Would it be possible to at least open it briefly to see where it leads?
>Well that's just annoying.
>Look around the room for anything else that isn't a stalactite or a natural bridge.
>Ok then, how possible is it for us to gap ourself down there presently?
>If it is possible, does gap difficulty increase with distance?
>Cautiously attempt to open a gap down to ground level.
>Ok, let's gap it through the gap.
>Nice to know we can at least do that much.
>Take one of the many exits out of this place and start heading back toward ~the door~.
>What happens if we jump?
>Well then, what are we waiting for?
> Keep jumping until we're close enough to the door.
>That either means there's either something out there cutting things or the ripping open of that border had bigger repercussions than we though, both have the potential to be really bad.
>Take another look at the other side of the door.
>Does it seem as though the frond cuttedness emanates from the door? Or are there cut ferns on the other side as well?
>But we do have our screwdriver so it should be no problem right?
>Does reality seem more unstable than the last time we were here?
>This one will be fine.
>Attempt to open the gap before us.
>Inventory.
>Poke part of our hat through to make sure we won't be disintegrated when we enter.
>Ok, through the gap we go then.
>Does the muted feeling feel like one of our tools?
>Expletive time.
>Ok, make our way super carefully over toward where we feel this feeling coming from, with socks on for sure.
>Can we sense its position well enough that we could aim a gap at effectively?
> Is it possible then to make a gap so that our tool would fall through it and fall on our hands?
> Take a short jump then.
>> Don't do this if this risks us getting hurt with the vines and stuff.
> That gravity works as expected from normal in this place, yes?
>> If so, proceed with the plan of making a gap for our tool to fall through into our hands.
>Would the screwdriver be useful here or would it just mangle things?
>Identify the weakest tangle.
>Is it connected in such a way that it will negatively affect these other points if we sever it?
>Try to find the point that is the least connected to the other points.
>Do 2 or 4 have any other connections besides the weaksauce one we're looking at now?
>Could we sever the connections to a point before severing the point itself?
>Well, let's find the point out of all of the points that's the least entangled with the others and try severing that.
>That's annoyingly symmetric :v
>If we can poke at the first point without severing it then do so and see what happens with the other points.
>Prod the fourth point in a similar fashion.
>Okay, time to try the first severing!
>SEVER POINT FOUR!
>Excellent, sever it fully.
>Point four.
>Poke point five.
>Fully sever point 5
>Finish off point 5.
>Prod point 6.
>Sever point 6
>Excellent, finish off point 6
>What points are left and how strong are they feeling?
>Finish off point 1 then.
>If nothing unusual happens then finish off point 2 as well.
> What did our hourglass do again?
> Take a moment to revel in this small victory.
>Make sure we don't accidentally revel onto a root though.
>We still don't want to stick around here though, make our way carefully over to the gap.
>Do so, promptly.
> Mental list of so-far-unexplored gaps.
> With our screwdriver and hourglass, could we make a "permanent" gap between the Field of Fronds and the caves?
> Can we even make a gap between these two?
>> If we don't know, try making one, just as a test.
> Do we remember exactly where the gap we were heading towards before we found the gap that lead to the hourglass is?
>> If so, go there.
>> If not, and if we remember where the "fold" is, proceed towards it.
>We'll probably never look at roots the same way again.
>Might as well open the gap, no point in waiting.
>Poke the tip of our hat through, just in case.
>Excellent, step through tentatively.
> Might as well give it one more old college try!
> Try flying again.
> Odd.
> Drop ourselves back down and try to fire some test danmaku.
> Check our shikigami-connection with Ran. Is she here?
> Howw far is home from here?
> Can we contact her through the connectiion?
> Better not do that. This experience requires more communication thaan that to convey properly.
> Let's open a gap and go there as per the usual.
> Almost like we never left...
> We need to put a straight face on, regardless. No need to cause panic. If we look worried about something, that'll say a lot for whatever that thing is.
> Take a moment to calm ourselves from this recent ordeal - we're finally home, at least - and then enter our house.
> Put on a slightly unamused look.
> "You don't want to go where I've been. How long have I been gone?"
> Nod.
> "Well, that's less of a disaster than it could be. I will, and please do."
> Head into our room and put on a new change of clothes.
> Mental dopeslap. At least that's three now!
> Take our screwdriver, our hourglass, and our socks out from our, uh, impromptu pocket and put the tools in real pockets (and the socks on our feet).
> Once socks are on, find some shoes and a hat and put those on too. Might as well stash the straw hat in a closet or something, though.
> "Thank you."
> Head back out to our food.
> Give a small smile.
> "It's still unquestionably the third-best thing I've seen in the last day."
> Have a seat and dig in.
> "Mmm...could I impose on you to make some more of this?"
> "Of course. Thank you, dear."
> Try to hold our consumption back just a little bit.
> Nod.
> Take a few moments to breath in and out slowly several times. Think calming thoughts. We are we. We will fix this.
> Once we're done with that, resume eating.
> ...Really? How much do we normally eat? Certainly not this much.
> Put our utensils down.
> "...Something's wrong. The food is fantastic, but...it's not filling at all."
> Shake head.
> "No. Something is off-kilter. Ran, this may sound strange, but would you mind floating a little bit for me?"
> Assuming she does, watch and take note of the required effort.
> Frown and stand up.
> "That looks normal. Not very much like this."
> Try to fly again like we did when we first got back here.
> Set ourselves down.
> "That's one way to describe it. Tell me, where is Chen right now?"
> Shake head.
> "No. It's better that she not know about this."
> Gesture all around.
> "Do you sense it? The way the borders of Gensokyo are messed up?"
> "They are very erratic. My work has been almost completely ruined. It would take me a very long time to fix them even if I weren't in....whatever state this is. And given where I woke up to find myself, I'm guessing that whoever spirited me away also did wrought that destruction."
> "I...don't know. At least, not the last two. The first...I don't know if I can ask it of you."
> "All right. I think..."
> Deep breath.
> "I think we need to go back to where I found myself. There is more to be investigated there, I think. The problem is that I don't know if that place will do you to you what has been done to me."
> "I don't know. It was some place I've never seen before. I only know where I arrived here when I left there."
> "Eating more isn't going to help, and I think I'm ready otherwise. I think it would be worth stopping at Marisa's house first, though, and then heading to the Hakurei Shrine after that."
>"Very well."
>Spend the time estimating how long the borders here have left.
>Okay, so we really need to fix this as soon as possible.
>Give Ran her moment.
> Head outside. Once we're both there, open a gap to the Kirisame residence.
> Well! If this is how we're going to be greeted, we might as well take on our normal, annoyingly enigmatic tone.
> "Oh my. And why would either of us want to do that?"
> Give a knowing smirk.
> "Surely you don't need your mouth or ears to plant your flowers, do you?"
> How likely is it that Reimu has noticed the border issues with Gensokyo?
> "Nothing special. Only to let you know that I will be borrowing Reimu for a while, so you may want to be a little extra vigilant until I'm done with her."
> Who else might have noticed the changes? The yama? The Dragon? Tenma? Ibaraki? Hijiri?
> Nod.
> "And actually, I would like if I can use you as a reference on the seriousness of the situation. Reimu may have noticed something is amiss, but she is far more likely to take you seriously than me. Let us say for now that there are problems afoot, problems that have directly led to me acquiring some..."
> With another slight enigmatic smirk, open the gap pocket with the Materia Prima in it and gently take it out without concentrating on making it into anything.
> "...items of interest."
> "You may have come across it in your own studies at some point. If not, I am sure Patchouli has heard of it, and she may have mentioned to you at some point. This is Materia Prima, the one element from which all creation comes."
> Hold out our free hand in front of us in a stopping gesture while pulling the Materia Prima hand back a little bit.
> Put on a stern look.
> "No touching until I am satisfied you understand the consequences of doing so."
> Look over to Ran.
> "By going through massive amounts of aggravation. Far more than anyone in Gensokyo has ever even dreamed I've put them through, never mind anything that's actually happened."
> Look back to Marisa and gently poke at the Materia Prima a couple of times with a finger from our free hand.
> "You may touch it if you like, it is the least I can do for imposing on you like this. But there will be no grabbing, and there will certainly be no attempt to mold it or otherwise use it. Understood?"
> Nod.
> Stop poking and hold it back out in front of us.
> When was it that we were able to feel the power within this stuff?
> Give a slight frown.
> "Perhaps Patchouli would be more sensitive to it than you. I've never seen a human handle Materia Prima before, so even I can't say."
> "Only some sort of reference toward the seriousness of the situation so I can waste as little time with Reimu as possible."
> "Good."
> Open a gap to the Hakurei Shrine.
> "If you have the time."
> Head on through ourselves.
> "So you've noticed, then."
> Wave a hand dismissively.
> "I appreciate the thought, but we don't have the time."
> Gesture all around.
> "Have you sensed the changes in the borders?"
> Smile that slight smile.
> "Oh come now, Reimu. Why would I want to ruin my own hard work?"
> "I assure you, the consequences of what has taken place are considerably worse than if any of us suddenly forgot how to put one foot in front of the other. Gensokyo's borders are erratic, easy to disrupt. With the way they are now, if something snuck in from the outside, it could cause severe damage. It will take me a very long time to bring everything back to where it belongs."
> "To come with me to investigate a place I found myself recently thrown. It is, so far, the only lead I have as to who or what caused this damage."
>"The fate of Gensokyo hangs in the balance, so try not to take too long."
> Nod, then turn to Marisa.
> "At least you have something new to discuss with Patchouli, I suppose."
> Can we sense anyone else in the vicinity?
> Nod, then turn to Marisa.
> "I trust you know enough not to spread undue gossip, as well as who to contact if you should need help. Where would you like me to send you?"
> "As you wish."
> Do we remember where we re-emerged into Gensokyo well enough that we could open a gap to go there?
> "No."
> Open a gap back toward that place.
> Head on through.
> Ran came with us, yes?
> "I don't think so. Here."
> Make our way to the gap that brought us here and open it.
> "The passage itself should be. The place beyond? I would take care of it myself if I could, which is why I am not alone."
> Follow!
> What the
> Are we at least still clothed?
> Look back behind us. Is the gap still open?
>Poke our head through to see if they're on the other side.
>Oh... crap.
>Try calling out to them.
>Take another look back through the gap, calling out here as well.
>Insight: Could they have appeared where we first appeared, and if so is there any way back there?
> Can we feel our connection to Ran?
>Could we attempt to look for Ran using our connection in that weird place between the gaps?
> insight: is this place a manifestation of our psyche or something similar?
> take a deep breath and head back to the crystal palace.
> proceed to the room with the gap that we needed our pliers for.
>Ok, let's go back to the area we started last time. Um, what is along the path to there?
>One step at a time I guess.
>Can we adequetely trace a path to the far side of the fold?
>If so, do so.
>Wait up a sec.
>Go back through the gap to Gensokyo and grab a rock, then come back through and continue what we were doing.
>Okay, awesome, one of three things has happened.
>1. We just killed two incredibly important people.
>2. These people are instead lost in this strange world.
>3. We just killed two incredibly convincing fakes.
>Return to Gensokyo and attempt to gauge to the best of our power how "real" it is. If possible that is.
>Hmmm, for now let's gap over to our house and see if Ran is spontaneously there again.
>Could examining a living person in this Gensokyo provide insight into whether it is real?
>Well, then, let's pay a visit to someone convenient, i.e Maribel.
> Gap ourselves back to the gap where we lost Ran and Reimu.
> Pick up a rock, grip it tightly, and step through that gap back to the field of fronds.
> So the rock has vanished?
> Could we tell the exact point in the process of stepping through that it did so?
> Do we have rope at home?
> Did the gap close behind us automatically?
> Pick up a frond with our hand that didn't hold the rock.
> Head back through the gap to Gensokyo without unclenching our former-rock hand.
> Once we're back in Gensokyo, inspect the immediate vicinity for objects we could reasonably tie a rope to for support.
> Unclench our for mer rock hand, it's done its job.
> Gap-return to our room, grab an aforementioned strip of cloth, gap-return here, tie one end of the cloth to the aforementioned tree, grab the other end and head back through the gap to the field of frons.
> Step back into Gensokyo. Is the cloth still tied to the tree?
> What on Earth...
> We were watching where we were going when we entered the frond field,yes? Which means we weren't watching the cloth?
> Oh, so Gensokyo isn't visible through the gap?
> Let's try this one more time...
> Head back to Gensokyo, pick up a rock, then head back through the gap to the frond field, holding the rock out in front of us at roughly eye level so we can see what happens to it.
>Is this the real life?>Is this just fantasy?
>So if we had our magnifying glass solving this mystery would be a lot easier?
> List of Gaps we still haven't checked in this weird place.
>List of what has disappeared in transit, and what hasn't, over all gappings to this place.
>There are a few. There is the one in the crystal palace, which you will need your vice grips to open. There is one where the fold in the field of fronds was thick and you did some repairs to borders there. There is one that leads back to the caverns, which is very unstable. There is one near the chasm in the caverns which you were unable to hold open long enough to use previously, and there is one you have yet to investigate in the statue chamber.
> You're... not really giving us many options here, purvis :V
> What would we need to make the border between here and the caves stable?
> Proceed to the gap where the fold in the field is thick. Use to fold itself to get to it if necessary. We can't afford to get lost.
> What was the reason we couldn't use this gap before?
>Is this the same dress we were wearing the night before?
> Then proceed to work on the gap. With our pliers it should be no trouble, right?
> Go through!
> Take a good moment to recompose ourselves.
> Once the ringing has stopped, take into the fresh air. A nice change, at least.
> Is there any path that we can see?
> Does it seem like we could crest the canopy?
> Attempt flight.
> We can deal with humiliation considering we're very likely to be the only ones here.
> Once our ears stop ringing fully, carefully climb one of the tallest-looking trees and look over the canopy.
> Sigh and let it be then, especially since we're rusty, last thing we want is getting unnecessarily hurt.
> Assuming that by "one to the north and one to the east" (this isn't completely clear tbh) you mean that there's a pseudo-path one each of these directions, proceed north but keep careful track of where we're going so that we can get back here easily, either to leave or go the other path.
> While walking, keep an eye out for a tree we assume is good enough for climbing.
> Red? Approach and examine cautiously. Red is almost never a good sign.
> Chances it could be one of our tools?
> Get the foliage out of the way to get a better look.
> Well then!
> Would having only one of our shoes make walking too awkward? If not, put it on.
>Search through the nearby undergrowth for another shoe.
>Do we still have that trusty rock we picked up quite some time ago? (Not the one we disintegrated as a test)
>Are they quality sticks, or thin snappable affairs?
>Well then, before we continue, let's find a nice trustworthy stick.
>Find our way back to the "path" we were following.
> Move onwards!
> Does the shape of the border actually mean anything?
> Can we feel where it's connected to without opening it?
> Does it need any sort of repairs before it becomes useable?
>> If so, start on these repairs UNLESS we don't have the tools for it.
> We weren't looking for specifically tall trees in these past few minutes since we found our shoe, right?
> Only forest as far as the eye can see, eh?
> Well then. Try to feel where this border connects to, without opening it.
> What could we do to a border like this?
I say we at least see if we can open a passage through it without destroying it, could be something worthwhile in there.
> Any way we can open a passage through the border without destroying it?
> Check to see if the border seems delicate or not.
>> If not, open a gap to the other side and continue down the path.
>Within the sphere.
>Can we see everything inside the sphere from where we are standing?
>Use our ears and walk around to triangulate the position that the sound is originating from.
>Damnable acoustics!
>See if there is a border or somesuch linking the sound of some other place to this bubble.
>The border isn't creating the sound either?
>"Is anyone there?"
>Well then, for now exit through the other side of the sphere.
>Before we close the gap we use to exit, can we hear the sound through it?
>Oh, oh my, that makes this quite the find!
>Put some effort into memorising the position of this sphere so that we can make gaps into it later.
>We haven't been able to open gaps between these strange "worlds" other than the ones we've found have we?
>Try to open a gap to the place with the fronds.
>Can we sense anything that feels like one of our tools in this strange forest?
> What have we got going for object-holding capabilities?
> What gaps are we aware of that will take us back to the caverns, other than the mega-unstable one?
> For all the different trees we've seen so far, have we spotted any of those nasty roots here?
> Inventory
> Do we recognize the song the shamisen is playing?
> Given what we remember of that massively unstable gap, how could we stabilize it?
> And that one connected to somewhere in the frond field?
>Would the screwdriver be of use in opening such a gap?
> Let's keep heading down the path, then. Who knows what else we'll find?
> Take a deep breath and carefully remember everything we can about climbing something.
> Then get to it!
> How does it compare to the frond field sky?
> Any landmarks of note besides mountains and trees?
> Does our pseudopath run in that direction?
Might as well try one thing while I wait.
> Raise our voice.
> "Hello out there!"
> Carefully climb back down the tree. Don't want to hurt ourselves.
> Once we reach the ground, continue on the current path.
> We didn't see a body of water when we climbed the tree, did we?
> Does the path keep heading northward?
> Take a look to the east. Can we see water?
> How dense are the trees? Is heading east off the path a reasonably viable option?
> Given we're stilll barefoot, how visible is the ground?
> Eh, why not? Let's go stickpicking east in search of this water. Here's hoping there are no buried roots of death.
> Get fairly close to the stream, but don't fall in!
> Once we're closer to it, take a look up and down it.
> Oh, son of a bitch. Well, at least it's kind enough to not hide itself in the underbrush.
> Still no sign of sentient life, eh?
> Nothing interesting in the forest across the river?
> Have we noticed a pattern at all to where the roots appear?
> Sigh.
> Let's up and head back to the path, then keep heading north. Hope we don't run across a root along the path.
> Oho, an interesting thing. Investigate!
> What do we know of Hata no Kokoro?
> Put our hand on the monolith. Maybe that'll help us figure out what's up with the borders.
> Is the the stone itself or the gaps of the stone that are in error? Or both?
> Give the stone a small shove.
> Inspect the monolith for physical faults. If we can't move it to get at the gap inside it, maybe we can break it.
> Or would it be possible to pull the gap out of it?
> What's standing in the way of us pulling the gap out, and how can we overcome it?
> Let's open one such gap, then, and see what happens.
> What are our available options within the monolith?
>Could examining the patterns and suchlike on the outside of the pillar help us work out where to make such a gap?
>If so, do so.
>Would the border between the two halves of the yin-yang be too strong for what we're thinking?
>Excellent, let's start with that then.
>Could we do this with the information we have, or do we need to find places for these gaps?
>Is the surface of the stone smooth? Also, have we seen anything in this area that could be used as paint?
>Execute the gap maneuver then.
>Create the weak gap between two of the more amorphous shapes.
>Use two of the "hands" for the strong gaps.
>Could we use the gap between one face and another (i.e. a corner)?
>Well I guess the gap between a hand and the rest of the pillar with have to do then.
>Things don't normally react like that when we manipulate their gaps do they?
>Poke our stick through the gap as a test.
>Well then, cautiously step through.
>We had a tool which let us peer through gaps didn't we?
>To the shrine's front door!
>Open the door and peer inside.
> Head on in, and may our way to and through the second set of doors.
>"Hello? It's Yukari~"
> Head to and through those paper doors. Maybe they're hiding something!
> Head toward the down staircase, but peek into each of the rooms with an open door. Stop moving toward the down staircase if we see anything notably unusual for a shrine.
> Check thecheststrunks for unusualgrowthsitems.
>Walk along the far wall until it feels its strongest.
> No sign of clothing, miko garb or otherwise, anywhere yet, huh?
> Might as well head down the hallway.
> What kind a seam?
> Wander around the room a little bit, keeping an eye on the drawing's eye.
>Does the seam represent a strange border of some kind?
>Completely unrelated question: do we know of American youkai or gods?
> Get up close to the drawing, close enough that we could touch it if we wanted to.
> Reach out to it as if we're going to touch it, but don't actually touch it.
> What material is it? Paint, chalk, soot, something else?
> Deep breath.
> Touch it.
>Does it feel as if it were scanning us, rather than the other way around?
> What kind of power is it?
> What part of it is missing?
> Compare the sigil to our piece of Materia Prima.
>Have a look around the room for anything else of note, and if we find nothing head upstairs to see if we can find this "missing part" there.
>Wait, what? How big is this room?
>How exactly does the seam extend out beyond our sight?
>Push on the far wall.
>Go back upstairs and head toward the up staircase.
>It wasn't there before was it?
>Look back at where it was before.
>Run back there then.
> Do we feel like the source of the power has shifted as well?
>Go back to where it is now.
>Is it moving?
>"Hello?"
>Wave at it, poke it, pull funny faces at it if necessary. Does it react?
> Is its power such that we are capable of harnessing it when it brushes over us?
>Well if we can't interact with it at present, we might as well head upstairs as we were going to.
> A red rock? A boulder? We must be in Colorado!
> Get closer to the window and take a better look at the boulder.
> But the grass is oversized too, right? Might that mean we got shrunk somehow?
> When we were outside before entering this shrine, was the foliage abnormally large?
> Where would our giant shoe be relative to the shrine entrance?
>How large does the shoe look compared to the grass? If not tiny, then...
>This is a place where sizes are mutable. The relative size of two things is not fixed. Weird.
> What other parts of this shrine have we not explored yet?
> Head back outside to where we first entered the shrine, keeping an eye out for sigil travel along the way.
> Once we're back outside, make our way to where our now-giant shoe is, again keeping an eye out for sigil activity.
> Can we see inside it?
> Are there any proportionately gigantic trees around the area, to fit with the possible idea that we've been shrunk somehow?
> Do they look like the same kind of trees as what populated the area we were in before we found our way here?
> Maybe we're in the same forest, then.
> If we were tall enough that our giant shoe here fit us properly, how large would the shrine look to us?
>Can we see the odd gap-containing arc that brought us here anywhere?
>Can we see any landmarks that we recognise from the forest that we are assumedly still in?
>Can we see any glaring landmarks that we could see from far away, assuming we were larger.
>Do the borders of the shoe feel strange in any way?
>Let's go back inside and explore the ground floor hallway that we haven't yet.
>Are there similar stairs down here, and do they lead to a different basement?
>How are the stairs up and down placed relative to the two ground level hallways?
>Oh okay, there were some more halls upstairs right?
>Explore them.
>Are there means of ascending through the trapdoor, such as a ladder?
>If not attempt flight once more.
>Can we reach the trapdoor?
> Are the table and chest tall enough that we could reach the trap door if we stacked then and stood on top?
> What about if we dragged several tables together from other rooms?
> Let's do just that, then! Stack tables from various rooms together in this room until the trap door is within reach.
> Any gaps up here?
> Climb our full self into the attic and make our way to the source of that light. Mayhaps it is related to the sigil.
> Get it get it get it get it get it!
> Could we combine it with our existing piece?
>More importantly, could we seperate it from our existing piece if we combined them together?
>Don't attempt such yet then, we may need this for the sigil or somesuch.
>Store it in a gap similar to the one that the other Materia Prima is stored in, but separate.
>Youkai master race super vision powers!
>Head back down to the basement and see if we can find the sigil again.
>Pull out our new piece of materia prima and see if it reacts in any way.
>Does the sigil feel incomplete in a way such that we could finish it?
>So we need to find something that directly relates to the sigil?
>Search for hidden doors.
>I search for traps and secret doors!
>I roll a 9!
>Thoroughly investigate the strange seam.
Oops that was meant to be struckthrough as well, not bold ^_^'
>The seam is quite narrow right?
>Inventory.
>I don't suppose the screwdriver works for opening seams as well?
>Excellent, attempt to widen the seam with the screwdriver.
>Investigate the seam for the third time.
> Could we get it any wider than it is now?
> So what might have happened outside?
> Can we see any further down the seam?
> Make our way back to the room with the window where we first spotted the gigashoe and have a look out that window again.
> We'll have to go back outside and investigate, then.
> Start making our way back outside, but pause for a prompt if we see the sigil again. There's something else we want to try.
> Go up to the wall and touch the sigil again, letting it do it's standard being-touched energy thing.
> Once it's thing is done, gently press a little harder into the wall to create some friction, then drag our our fingers/hand along the wall in an attempt to drag the sigil along.
> This thing is currently on a paper wall, yes? Does the paper wall have any backing to it?
> Poke a hole in the wall through some painted part of the sigil.
> So the sigil still appears as if it was painted on the paper? Or is part of it now hanging down across open space?
> Huh.
> Well, whatever. Make our way back out to the pavilion and assess the damage.
> Does it go straight across the land or around it?
> So this crevice runs into the ground, yes? But didn't the seam in the shrine run parallel to the ground?
>How big is the shrine relevant to our shoe?
>How big does that make the shrine relevant to full sized us?
>Did the path we were following come to an end at the weird pillar that contained the gap that brought us here?
>Hmmm, you said that we were tired earlier, is that a pressing concern?
>The stream we saw earlier, did that look drinkable?
>There were beds in the shrine?
>Let's go back through the gap to the stream.
>Roughly how long would it take to walk from the stream to the place where we entered this forest?
>Inspect the water.
>If it passes our appraisal, drink deep.
>Return to the place where we entered this place and follow the otherplacepath.
> How wide is the stream?
> Does our current path continue, or is the only remaining path the one across the stream?
>Does the current look strong enough to be a problem?
>Attempt to cross the river while keeping our clothes as dry as possible.
>If we lift up our dress above our waist and remove our socks would that be enough to keep our clothes out of the water?
>Let's use our handy stick to test the depth then.
That sounds like the kind of stream that's really unpleasant to cross. :/
>Look up and downstream to see if there are any fallen trees across the stream.
>Come to think of it have we seen any fallen trees so far?
>Are there any trees on the bank that look like it would take a shove or two to push them over, and could be used as a makeshift bridge?
>Perfect, let's make our way over there avoiding any of those nasty roots.
>Attempt to push it over without falling into the stream.
>Is it wide enough to walk across or is it a crawling affair?
>Carefully walk across the tree paying attention to balance.
>Wade carefully through the brush, looking out for roots.
>Continue along the path.
>Investigate. It could be our other shoe!
> SHOEGET
> Can we see inside the shrine at all? Maybe that sigil is still visible.
> How does the crack we made with the screwdriver look?
> Put our shoes on, now that we have both.
> Is the gap that shrunk us visible from here?
> Are we large enough in comparison to the shrine that we could pick it up?
> Could we slip the shrine into its own little pocket dimension like we did with the blobs of Materia Prima?
> How is the shrine not rooted to the ground if it is built into the pavilion?
> Cold we open a gap to a pocket dimension underneath the pavilion large enough to encompass the entire pavilion?
> If we actually did this, would we be able to lo slowlywer the pavilion, shrine and all, into said gap, rather than just have it fall down and get all shaken up and possibly damaged?
> Alternatively, would 'creative use of gaps' be able to lift the entire pavilion straight up into the air?
> Is the ground crevice big enough for our screwdriver?
> Do so and gently twist.
> Could we reach both hands into the crack, or only one?
> Fit both in lengthwise and try to lift the pavilion.
> What does the shape of the base appear to be?
>Get our hands in under the pavilion and attempt to turn it to the left, keeping an eye on the crevice.
>Also, can we see a hole in the base in the crevice?
>Inspect the outer edge of the crevice to see if there are any holes that could match up with the hole that contains the very small sigil.
>Examine the rock.
> Can we poke the sigil?
> Could we slide the whole base+pavilion around a little bit more to see other parts of the grouund beneath it to inspect for a hole that could match up with the tunnel?
> Reach down and gently poke the sigil.
> Did the magnitude of the power feel the same?
> Interesting.
> Move the entire base + pavilion forward.
>Is the rock what's stopping us from turning the pavilion smoothly?
> Can we still see the in-shrine tunnel where the sigil was?
> Given what tools we have now, what more would we need before we would feel comfortable opening a gap underneath the shrine so we can turn it around and replace it?
> Assuming we went back to being tiny, would it be possible to climb down into that small opening from above?
>And if we could, roughly how easy would it be to get out again?
> How far below the surface is that opening?
> How wide is the opening?
> Look around the area for a stick that is at least a couple of feet long.
> Obtain two such branches, at least one of which is no wider than half the width of the opening.
> Take the branch that is no wider than half the width of the opening and stick one end into the opening, preferably angled up against the wall of the opening a little bit to anchor it. Lay the other end down onto the edge of the opposite side of the crevace through which we can see the opening. Try to nestle it into a dirt divot (of our own making as necessary) so it can't roll all over the place.
> Once the first stick is placed, place the second stick across the crevace near the first stick so the two sides of the crevace are bridged. This will hopefully prevent us from having to jump over the crevace or take a longer route around it.
> Wedge the first stick as necessary, then. As long as it reaches the opening below the ground, the stabler it is, the better.
> Okay, that should do it.
> Retrace time! Head all the way back to the large gap that was inside the monolith, head through it, and get our tiny selves back to this area, particularly to the place where just laid down the branches.
> Make our way to the sticks we laid down.
> Cross the log bridging the crevice and inspect the area where the second log leads downward.
> We'll make do. Securing this bridge was the most important part.
> Carefully make our way down the log to the opening.
> Oh boy, newness! Let's go exploring down the tunnel.
> How natural does the formation seem, anyway?
> Light is good. Move toward the light.
> ...But keep an eye out for those bad juju roots all the same.
> We don't get a nasty sense from the moss, do we?
> Keep heading toward the gap. Try not to step on any of the moss, just in case.
> Is a dive forward + tuck and roll a reasonable option? If so, do that.
> Hmm.
> Lightly tap the moss in front of us with a foot, pulling it away after the tap.
> Step again, a little firmer an longer this time.
> Nothing for it, then.
> Walk across the moss toward the gap.
> Open it, keeping it stable.
> Head through!
> Are we possibly looking at the forest we just left?
> Can we tell if we're still small?
> Are there any obvious paths?
> Can we sense anything unusual up here, such as another gap or a strange energy?
>Begin wandering around the peak, looking around to see if there's anything here.
> Focus on the sounds and energies of the surrounding environment while doing so.
> Is that a 'here' in the general sense of the overall area, including down somewhere in the forest? Or something a little more defined than that?
>Is it possible to go any further upward?
> Let's test the stability of the nearest tree, then.
> Begin our ascent. Make sure to test every tree we try before trusting it with our weight.
>In what ways could we interact with this border?
> This seems similar to that bubble border in the forest. Could we safely pass through this one without destroying it like we did that one?
>Could we store this border in a gap?
> Let's carefully open it enough to stick our hand in, then.
> Is it the same instrument and/or song as the music in the first gap we found?
> Pull our hand out, then carefully stick our head in.
> That's okay, just getting our eyes into it should be fine.
> Can we drag it down lower than where it is right now?
> Let's bring it down to head level, then, using whatever methods are necessary.
> Once that's done, peer inside it, taking the necessary precautions so as to not destroy it.
> Would it be possible to combine this border with the other musical bubble border somehow?
>If we stored this in a gap could we use it as a portable chaos-lessener?
> Why aren't you on IRC? >:|
>Ok then, let's put it in a gap for now.
> Attempt to fly one more time.
> If it doesn't work, carefully make our way back down the mountain to where we were before, ideally by following the same path that brought us up since we know it works.
> Let's head through gaps, across logs, and back on our previous steps as necessary to make our way all the way back to the first musically border bubble we found.
> Is there anything in the immediate vicinity of our left foot?
> Are we perhaps large enough that would could hug-grip the branch with our arms and legs?
> Well, we have two hands and one foot currently on things, right? How difficult would it be to first wrap our legs around the branch while still holding on to our handholds, and then wrapping our arms around the branch once our legs are secure?
> No, not swinging our legs up to the handholds, but wrapping them around the branch at about the level they are now.
> Which hand is on the branch and which is on the leaf?
> Could we conceivably wrap our left leg around the branchlog as much as possible, then shift our weight so the majority of it is on our right arm (the branch arm) when we bring our right leg around the branchlog to match our left leg?
> How far from the opening are we?
> Could we conceivably drop ourselves into it from our current position?
>Execute the branch-grabbing leg-swinging maneuver, being ready to grab wildly at the log if something goes wrong.
> At least we're a littlle more secure now.
> Are we in a position and condition where we could shimmy our way up the rest of the branchlog?
> Let's try heading up that way, then. At least until we get far enough that we can resecure both our feet on footholds and go back to climbing up in a more normal fashion.
>Use some of the protrusions to aid our ascent also.
> Give ourselves a minute to rest and de-ache, then dust ourselves off and resume the trek back to the musical bubble.
> We thought we had a few ideas in how we could combine the two musical borders. What are they?
> Let's step back inside the bubble, then (being careful not to pop it).
> Once we're inside, let the smaller border out of its gap.
> How dangerous to the harp sound would eliminating its borders entirely be?
> Are there any obviously suitable locations where we could fuse the two borders together?
> How reversible a process is fusing the borders?
> Let's try fusing them at a suitably symmetric location, then.
> What are our options?
> Something unusual to happen.
> Combine them in such a fashion that the two disembodied instruments play together.
> So nothing else unusual has happened, like maybe slightly more stable borders or anything?
> Can we play any musical instruments?
>Would it be possible to get this new combined musical border into a gap?
>Would it be possible to compress it, while keeping it's musical functionality intact?
>What kind of factor of difficulty reduction are we looking at here?
> List of unexplored/unexamined gaps.
>How relaxing is the music?
> Do we know of any way to return to the caverns other than the gap that leads to the unstable room?
>So the music isn't exactly a lullaby then?
But, how do we get there? :/
> List of places we've been to, not counting the caves and gensokyo.
> We only have one insight point left, right?
> Back at the palace, when we found the first piece of Materia Prima, was there anything else of note there?
We've found the gap in the frond field that leads back to the unstable room in the caverns. We'd be going through it.
> Have we?
>> If so, have we actually examined the gap?
> How tired/hungry are we?
> Where is the gap that would lead us back to Gensokyo?
> We're currently inside the musical bubble, right? If so, leave it through a gap.
> Is there any immediate spot where laying down to rest wouldn't be so uncomfortable?
> Why do we think the Gensokyo we were in earlier isn't the real thing?
> So what could it be instead, given we were talking to people while there?
> But if it's fake, where did the other people come from? Creating an entire fake person well enough that we couldn't tell the difference isn't a trivial task. Even the shikigami connection worked.
> So it is possible someone planted a fake shikigami connection sensation in our head, and we, experienced with Ran and with the world as we are, couldn't tell it was fake?
> Welll, there's always the possibility that this is all happening strictly within our own head, yes?
> It would. But, at the same time, it would mean we're not actually physically here, and we're only tired because we think we're tired.
> We don't really have the time (or the energy) to make something "creative" with the tools we have to make a makeshift bed, right?
> If not, pick a spot that seems comfortable enough and get to resting.
> Shank that sigil.
> Avoid getting shanked by sound bubble.