>What did we have planned for today?
>How much can we bench, bro?
>What does it mean to be Mystia Lorelei? Do we exist in a spot in spacetime? Why are we?
>Well, where do we usually go to get ingredients?
>Do we know of anyone who might know about new ingredients we haven't tried using yet?
>Are we nowhere? Are we everywhere?
>Everywhen?
> Do we have an inventory? Do we need to look for inventory?
> Who are our regulars? Do they pay?
>When it comes to food storage, are we aware of the mighty Zeer Pot? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeer_pot)
>Maybe we should ask Reimu, Marisa, or Sakuya about new ingredients to use with the Lamprey.
>Who knows, we might hit it big by introducing a new variety of the Lamprey we usually make.
> Maybe we should try attracting customers with a song?
> Have we ever eaten Wriggle, since she's a bug and we're a bird?
>Why aren't we allowed in the village? We're harmless to humans. ... Now.
> Approach the potential customer unseen. Can we make out any details?
>Bark out our wares!
> Some kind of bad what?
>"Best grilled lamprey you ever had! So good it'll set your taste buds aflame! For a brief moment, you will see the face of Brahmin, and he will say 'Yummy!' Don't pass up this chance to have the best night of your life!"
>Grin. "So, wanna order something? These ears of mine tell me that you're lookin' to get something to eat y'know."
Consider asking him about new ingredients to put in the lamprey. He might know something, and he seems more friendly than any of our other viable options.
>"Huh, maybe I'll find a cookbook or something. At least then I'd have a reason to learn to read, ehehe..." Grin in a slightly embarrassed way.
>How do we usually cook the lamprey? Do we just grill it? Or do we have other methods at our disposal?
>"Hmm...Maybe I should upgrade the stand to have a bit more room to work with. So that way I can do more than just grill."
>Do we already have some Lamprey? Or do we need to fetch them as orders come in?
>"Well, I was thinking of doing just more than grilling them. Like maybe boiling or baking."
>"Well, you're gonna order some Lamprey right? I'll go and catch some. I can't really have any in stock right now because I don't have anything to store 'em in, so I catch 'em as orders come in. I'll be back in a couple minutes!"
>Let's go catch some Lamprey!
>Lamprey comes first, we can chat afterwards.
> Catch two servings and drag Daiyousei along. She will be our customer, whether she wants to or not!
>"Winter's just about over yeah? So it shouldn't be too much longer, yeah?"
>"Back to the stand of course! Why d'you think I got two Lamprey?"
>"Remember that old Lamprey scam I used to run? Well, I've gone legit with it! Turns out, I'm a pretty damn good cook!"
>"So I hope you got your purse!"
>How much do we charge?
>"I figured that since I ran into you while on a run for my current customer, I'd drag you back with me and cook some up for you too."
>Chuckle a bit. "Yeah, though it'd probably be good for business if folks end up wanting to watch."
>"See, wherever there's something neat to watch, there's folks who'll be hungry. And where there's folks who're hungry, there'll be me and my stand, just waiting for business."
>"And their delicious shinies, oh yes..."
> We can just put it on her tab.
>"Well, that one was kinda out of the way yeah? Maybe the next one'll happen closer to people who'll be interested?"
>Display lamprey!
>"So, how do yours?"
>Well, let's just cook it up with whatever seasonings we've got on hand!
>"Don't worry about paying right now Dai, I'll just put it on your tab."
>"Basically, it's a debt. But since I don't charge too much usually, and fairies don't really have cash, you can just work it off when I need a hand."
>Let's just keep finishing up, and let those two talk amongst themselves.
>"So which half of you is youkai, anyways?"
>"Correctly?"
>"Eh, guess it doesn't matter too much."
>Let's tidy up the grill then! Can't leave it dirty for the next batch y'know! "So, you guys like the food?"
> "So brings you two out this late? You nocturnal or something?"
Ask to see the scroll. It can't hurt, at least.
> "At 3 am?"
Sympathize with him. We can't go into the village either. And it's too bad too, there's such tasty food there... :3
>Examine the scroll. Do any of the squiggly bits look familiar?
>"I think those are fake, this looks like a hoax to me."
>"Oh, good idea! You should do that. Hey...where'd you get that fakey fake scroll anyways?"
> What do we know about Keine?
>Who's the fire girl and the princess?
>"Hey, you run a shop, right? What kind of tips and tricks have you figured out with running them?"
> Wait, she's a were-something? Shouldn't the villagers hate her too?
>"Oh. Well who does run stores that are successful?"
>We're going to need some real help to get this thing off the ground. But we will, oh we will. By the this time next year, everyone's going to be having grilled lampreys! Mwahahahaha!
>"You don't control minds with lampreys, silly! You control appetites!"
So, what're we doing, gang?
Since Rinno's heading to the village to see Keine about that scroll, maybe we can go with him to find cookbooks.
Keine = Teacher = Books = Cookbooks = Better Food = Better Business
I know, I know, youkai aren't allowed, but if we're a member of his party, and we stick with him, it might just work out.
I am thinking the trick, as well, is advertising. And getting a toehold in some populated locations.
>"So, the lamprey's great, isn't it?"
>Wait! What if you let someone sell your wares in the village for you?
>Do we know anyone else that we could count on?
>Ponder how close we could get the cart to human town before Keine would definitely flip out at us.
>When do we prefer to sleep?
>If we set out toward Human Town right now, about how close would it be to sunrise when we got there?
>Do we even have enough lamprey to serve? How much do we have?
>Wait, we can get Cirno to help! We catch a bunch, and she can freeze them to keep them fresh!
>"Hey, Dai. I just had an idea. Can you go get Cirno?"
>Alternately...do we know where to get a decent-sized tub and load it up with water and lampreys?
Forget freezing them, gentlemans. We could serve 'em fresh without even having to leave the stand!
>"Hey, Rinnosuke! Do you have a big tub I could fill with water or anything like that? That way I can catch the eels ahead of time and keep them alive so I don't have to leave the stand every time someone places an order."
> What happened last time we bugged Reimu?
>But if we just said 'hi' and asked if she had a big tup, surely that wouldn't be enough to upset her.
>We'll bring some money for a donation, too. That'll probably get her in a good mood.
I agree. A donation would help. Also, we should do it at night, so we don't disturb any human visitors to the temple.
>We should go in the morning. Don't want to wake her up; that's probably put her in a bad mood.
Yes. Let's do it.
>Once we get paid.
Hm, I'd say we should use Rinnosuke's payment, along with a few shinies from our stash for the donation. As for the time, we might want to wait a bit - 5 AM is still a bit too early to be bugging Reimu.
>Wave to Rinnosuke.
>When do we think would be the earliest we could safely go see Reimu?
>Calculate how many lampreys we think we could get before it would become a problem. We are a youkai after all, and youkai don't like to ruin the land.
>What other places do we know about that would serve to let us burn some time?
Relationship with Suika?
>Let's temple it up. Maybe we could find a tub without hassling red-whites or parting with the precious shinies!
The Temple.
Lets try something new.
I agree, let's go visit the temple. But first...
>Examine this youkai, then approach.
>"Hey! How does this temple place work? Do I have to go somewhere specific?"
> Walk into front door.
[Cool, let's just get the Mystia Hijinx wrapped up.]
>"Whoa..."
I don't think Shou has animal ears or a tail.
{That works, we can start by informing Shou and the rest about the stand and such, and you can take things from there.}
{NINJA EDIT: Eh, it's a fanon thing, she IS a Tiger Youkai after all. We could've just caught her on one of those days where her nature is showing.}
>Look around.
>"Wow....This place is way bigger than the Moriya Shrine! Oh yeah, I'm Mystia, Mystia Lorelei. I run a food cart that sells Grilled Lamprey."
>Grin. "The neat thing is that Lamprey breed like crazy, so there's no worry about running out."
((Will this still keep going on while Rumia Quest 4 continues? I hope so.))
Also ask her to tell us more about Bishamonten. It might make her more willing to help us out.
>"I didn't used to have the best of motives for it, but then Reimu showed up and did her usual thing. But then she actually tried 'em, and ever since then I've been running it seriously."
>"I've actually got my stand set up outside the Human Village right now. It'd be good for business if I could set up inside, but you know how those guys are. Besides, hardly anyone eats humans anymore, y'know?"
> Ask about lamprey storage ideas.
"Um, all right. Could you tell me where I can find her?"
Eye the shiny pagoda.
"I hope you don't mind if I take a look around while I wait."
Let's explore this temple a bit. This looks to be a very youkai-friendly temple, after all. It might be good to get to know the people in it. They could be potential customers!
>How did we meet Byakuren and Nyuudous anyways?
>"Oh, aren't you supposed to be in the mountains?"
I intend to just fake it and ask for clarifications when necessary.
>.> Having not read Rumia Quests II or III, I'll just keep quiet the next few posts. Unless I think of something.
>"Oh hi, I'm Mystia. Hey, do you guys have some kind of tub around here you don't use anymore?"
Sauvity, your name is Mystia.
>"Simple: I need one so I can fill it with lampreys and them grill them and sell them to people in town."
>"Cut me a break will you? I used to just catch 'em as orders came in. But now I'm thinking that to expand, I need to be able to get 'em cooked up faster, y'know?"
Okay, let's calm down a bit. We don't want to offend these people, they could be our best resource in the future.
That said, mention something along the lines of "Well, I made the grill myself, but I was hoping to find some sort of used container to store lampreys in. It takes a long time to just make one, you know. If you have anything that could help me out, I'd be eternally grateful."
>Nod. "Yeah, but Rumia was the real ace there, not me. I'm just a Lamprey Cart Owner, not some fighter."
>"Oh. Well, if you say so, I guess that's how it is. Um, I don't suppose you know anyone with a good-sized tub? I'll give 'em a discount for it!"
>"Wow, they really are pretty rare if you have to pillage the border for them..."
Consider the idea of giving first-time customers to our stand a discount. It might raise business. Also consider advertising in the temple.
>"Hey, do they let any of you guys in?"
>"You think maybe Nue could get me one, if I don't have any luck asking around the other shrines and stuff?"
>After a moment, add, "What do you guys do around here, anyways?"
>"Uh, do you guys tangle with oni a lot, then?"
>Were there oni involved in the whole Makai deal?
>Look to Unzan: "You know, you ought to rough up Keine for being such a pain."
>"Not like anyone could stop Yuuka. So, how do we get Keine to stop listening to that dumbbutt, then?"
>"Hi."
>Wave.
>Raise an eyebrow. "You're actually trying to find people to surprise that way? But then it won't be a surprise, since they'll know what they're signing up for!"
> I don't know, a job advert to surprise people is certainly unexpected.
>How can something so unsurprising be surprising as well? This makes no sense, even by gensokyo standards.
It may be facepalm-worthy, but she's right, it WAS surprising. +1 to Kogasa.
>How can something so unsurprising be surprising as well? This makes no sense, even by gensokyo standards.
>Stop trying to make sense of things. Any attempt is doomed to failure.
>"I'm...just gonna stop there, before I get a headache."
> Too late.
> "What ya thinking about?" Kogasa asks innocently, pulling her sweetest, most innocent face.
> "Heterochromia iridum."
>"Hey, you haven't seen any decent-sized tubs laying around, have you? I need one and I kinda don't want to have to visit someone like the red white to get one."
>"...Why do all the mean people have the tubs? Sounds like even the going to the shrine would be better than that!"
Hey, I have an idea. Let's NOT try to get a buckety thing from Yuuka.
Is it late enough to go visit the shrine after all? And do we still have our monies for Reimu?
I vote we drop by our stash, grab as much shiny from there as we got from Rinnosuke, then head to Hakurei Shrine.
>Laugh at the scene, but not loudly enough for Reimu to hear.
>Approach donation box. See if Reimu notices.
>What time of day is it?
>What does the shrine and its surroundings look like?
>Greet Reimu.
>Toss some coins in the box.
>"Hey, are you busy?"
>"Hey...don't shrine maidens drown and stuff?"
>Let the oni saunter away. No need to get caught in any crossfires.
>"Um. Are you...okay?"
>"It wasn't a dream. Also I think that oni tried to drown you with sake after you fell over..."
Since the lid's open, this might be the right time to put the rest of the money inside. So we don't have to deal with the annoying "one coin at a time" thing.
So I guess the next thing to do is wake Reimu up?
Let's try gently shaking her at first. If not, we can try something more... pointed.
> You shake Reimu.
> "Five more minuites Yukari..."
> Try holding her nose shut.
>Don't mess Reimu's nose, we like breathing too.
>Nudge her with a foot.
Or take one of our talons and poke her in the foot. That's a option too.
>Nod. "I figured I'd grease the wheels a little, y'know? I know you hardly ever get any of the shinies, so I brought some along. See, I'm looking for a tub to put lampreys in, so I don't have to go running off to the lake every time someone orders food."
>"Now, the people I talked to said to check out the border. And I remembered that you live near it, so I figured you might either know where I can find one, or you might have an extra one lying around."
>Stare at the tub. "This'll be perfect! It oughta hold a lot of Lamprey!"
>Grin. "Since you guys did way more than what I expected, head out to the outskirts of the village, I've set up shop there. I'll fix some up for ya, free of charge this once."
>Would we be able to carry this tub if it were fully loaded?
>Nod. "I think she was trying to wake you up after you passed out though."
>Shrug. "Ah well, swing by later today to pick up the free meal. Thanks for the help, seeya!"
>Let's beeline for the lake so we can stock up!
> Is it our bedtime yet? How tired are we?
>Speak of the devil, and he appears....Who is he anyways?
>We haven't had a good dustup in a while, and it never hurts to keep the skills sharp eh? After all, we can outdo even Cirno if we put some oomph into it.
>Let's land and put the tub somewhere out of the way, preferably where no fairy will steal it.
>Do we have something to snack on, like seeds or something? because we gotta have something to snack on while we watch this.
>"...Wow. This is new, but entirely welcome! Let's watch then."
>Let's snack while watching the fight! Who knows, maybe Cirno will actually win for a change!
>"Huh. Pretty good."
>Keep watching.
>Call out: "Smack her down, Cirno!"
>Let's not wave yet, don't wanna distract her too much now. "Wow, kid's gotten better. Maybe she'll be able to beat me someday....Provided I don't get riled up."
>Does this wave have any openings that we can see? Could one get behind it?
>Chuckle a little. "One time, she froze one of my wings. Let's just say it didn't end well for her. We're still friends though, she just knows to not try anything like that again."
>"Gotta admit though, she's definitely improving."
>Examine the attack for holes. Not to directly dive in, but to shout ideas to Cirno if she needs it. Also to put that noisy spring faerie in her place >=|
>As long as she doesn't use the easy version.
> That's what she's holding.
Oh, god... yell at Cirno to try Diamond Blizzard instead, if she hasn't already.
> How likely is Cirno to get mad if we tell her that the card she's planning to use is trivial to dodge?
>"Because she knows the trick!"
Hopefully now that we've helped her a bit, Cirno can win. Go Marukyuu!
>Sigh a little. "Well, if she gets through this one, what say I prove it to you guys once she's pulled herself together?"
>"Anyhow, let's keep watching."
>"Hm, looks like she's pulling out all the stops this time around. Let's see what happens from here."
>Any popcorn left? lets snack some more!
>"Well, looks like the show's over. It was pretty interesting though."
>Let's head over to Cirno and drag her back to where we were sitting.
>"She'd probably say the same about winter. Ice fairy likes winter, spring fairy likes spring. Nothing wrong with that."
>"For a fairy, that makes a lot of sense. Surprising sense. I guess it's too bad Kogasa isn't here huh?"
>Drag her back to the tub. "Anyhow, I just got a tub to store Lampreys in for my stand, wanna try to help catch 'em?"
>"As long as you don't break them, then sure. Just put them in the tub as you catch them, we can get the tub back to my stand once we've got it filled up."
>No, no, we want them live and wriggling until we're ready to put them on the grill. More fresher means more bestest!
>"No, just catch them without freezing them. People like 'em better that way."
>"Don't you want to learn a new way of catching fish? Since you've gotten better with that ice, you can probably make claws for yourself like my talons."
"Suit yourself". Shrug and go to the lake, it's lamprey-catchin' time!
>We set up the stand. This is operation "Not Touching You, Can't Get Mad!" We're not in town, so she can't get mad.
>To the stand!
> "Would you like thebreakfastlunchtime special?"
>"Well, I kinda gave up on all that. Turns out I'm a good cook, so I figured I'd do that full-time. Well, when I'm not helping Rumia on one of her latest adventures."
>Let's cook one up for her so she'll see how good they are!
>Grin. "You got it! This time it's free of charge, since today's been a good one."
>Let's get cooking!
>"Not too much, just a couple coins. Seeing as how the Lamprey are easy to catch and all."
>Grin a bit. "You'd be surprised how common these things are. I'm doing the lake's ecosystem a favor by thinning 'em out."
"I do like shiny things."
Let's finish them up and season to taste.
>"Well? What do you think? I've been meaning to expand on how I cook then. Maybe get more seasonings, or upgrade my cart to have a broiler attachment."
>"No problem, I can just move to the graveyard if I need to, I'll still be able to sell the the elder at least, She's always been a reliable customer."
>"Hmm...I should start stocking drinks too, can't have grilled Lamprey without some Sake, y'know? It makes for a nice dinner after a long day y'know."
>"No worries, it's only for the grownups, I'll have water, or juice, or something for the kids."
>"Huh. Well, I guess I'll save that for when I've actually brought him around."
>Chuckle. "If you ask me, Keine'd probably do a better job of it. I just want to sell my cooking to people who'll buy it and enjoy the meal y'know."
>"Oh yeah, that'd be Kogasa. But the way I understand it, surprising someone is to her, is like these grilled lamprey. Food. But I could be wrong though."
>"Try to get me some more customers, if you could! More business is better business!">Stare at cute Rumia avatar.
>"And plus, that also means more people are going to see how much of a stick-in-the-mud that old fogey of a mayor is."
Cherry blossoms could mean Yuyuko. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Also ensure best seasonings are readily on hand for anonymous visitor.
> Start singing. Always wanted to sing with backup.
>How are profits?
>Do we know of any places where the sparrow sake is brewing? If we can get that license, we'll really knock off some people's socks...
>What have the youkai population been saying about our endeavors?
>"You guys hungry?"
>Put on the winning grin!
(Didn't they threaten to eat Sakuya in PBC?)
>"Oh. Well, maybe you friend would like some?"
>What kind of shinies have we gotten, anyways?
>"Who is your friend?"
Do we like surprises? If no, worry more about who our mystery visitor is. Also ask "Well, can you give me a hint at least?"If yes, find Kogasa.
>What do we know about the Prismrivers?
What's our best hope of escape if our visitor turns out to be a ghost girl with a fondness for sparrow?
Pray to Kanako, Suwako, Utsuho, the Aki sisters, Hina, Eiki, Byakuren, and Miko for divine protection.
Not much more we can do until the visitor arrives, I suppose. Perhaps position stand so that if we fly away, we fly into the sun, which may help deter followers.
>Sigh. "Since you're probably a customer, then go around front. Alright?"
>"...Oh boy. I should've known that letter was from you guys. Ah well, want something while you're waiting? Sorry I don't have any Sake on hand yet though, have to get a license to sell that this close to the village."
>"And you are getting something too, right?"
>"You should go gets some shiny things, then. No one likes a deadbeat."
>"Oh. Okay."
>Beat.
>Freak out.
>"Gee? How could you tell?!"
>Keep flipping out.
>"WhatamIgonnadowhatamIgonnadowhatamIgonnadoWHATAMIGONNADO?"
>Wait.
"Wriggle, go find Rumia! She's really strong and stuff now!"
Begin to calm down. "Yeah... you're probably right. Still, it's Yuyuko, you know? I'm just not comfortable being within ten leagues of her."I DEMAND YUMEMI
>"Well, not much I can do, then."
>...
>"Do you have time to stick around? It may help to have a friend here."
>Await Yuyuko's arrival.
Bright side: Yuyuko won't eat us with Yukari around. Probably. We may just make it out of this alive and in one piece. Allow this to brighten up our day.
Dark side: It's Yukari, enough said.
With that in mind, though, this is still a little bit brighter than what we were imagining. So let's get a smile on our face and ask them how much they'd like!
"O-of course! It'll be done in just a few minutes!"
Have we actually started grilling yet? If not, better get on that. Attempt to make light conversation while grilling. Something like "So, how are things going with you two?"
>...
>Let's not make conversation anymore. Just focus on making their food.
>Try not to be nervous.
>Fail at this.
Shame that Mystia is scared shitless of them; otherwise there's be great fun in badgering Yukari to have some or leaning on Yuyuko for payments or to get some for Youmu.
>"Glad you liked it."
Sweatdrop. "That's... um... exactly what I'm worried about. That and wondering why you're here," indicating to Yukari, "since I don't get such... esteemed visitors often. You know?"
>"Well, um, are you sure you don't want any for yourself? I have plenty."
>"Well, I guess so. But anyhow, things have been pretty good for business, y'know? I just gotta hold out until the village elects a new mayor, and I can get a license to sell Sake here!"
>"...Well, if I wasn't parked here, I probably could, but I figure that it's better to be closer to the folks with the shinies, y'know? That way they'll be more willing to part with 'em."
."Heh, you don't need to tell me that, She's bad enough as it is. Like I'd sell her that anyhow."
>"She can't get any worse anyways. Not like her aim is going to be any better when she's drunk."
>"Heck, even before Rumia got strong, she could probably beat Cirno without too much fuss. Worst-case scenario, Cirno pesters Reimu and gets plastered across the place. Just like usual."
>"...Well, worst-case scenario, she'll be up to her usual tricks, but bolder. She's a fairy anyhow."
>Beat.
>"Come to think of it, she drank with everyone back when that Makai thing was resolved. All that happened was that she was just more loudmouthed than normal, and she recovered pretty quickly too. Heck, she was almost sober even when me and the others were still drunk."
> Remember to convince Cirno to get into a drinking contest with Suika.
> Remember to get Cirno wasted. For science.
>Or, y'know, because we're youkai. Youkai do stuff for the heck of it after all.
>We'll have to do this far from the village though.
>Awesome plan! We'll do that if we ever find Suika.
>It should be easy to get Cirno drunk. Just hand her some liquor and say "Hey, drink this!" and repeat.
>"Would you like any more?"
>"Coming right up!"
>Get to work on that.
>Glance toward Yukari right before we put it on the grill and muster some courage. "Are you really not tempted even a little?" Then put it on the grill so the sizzle will emphasize our words.
>So far, so good...
>Dismissive wave.
>"Oh, with a figure like that, you could have a hundred and no one would notice!"
>...Try not to wither under that look...
>"You're just that trim, I mean..."
> Probably. Yuyuko gets at least 2 more on the house.
> Also, no more small talk with the scary youkai. Too dangerous. Just listen.
Smile. "Well, I usually just accept whatever you're willing to give, as long as it's shiny.Like those swords your gardener has, for instanceDid you enjoy the meal?"
> Poke the shinies.
Be obviously entranced by them. Both of them.
>After a moment: "What are these?"
> Can we plant the flower? Or are the roots gone?
>"Wow...Outside Gensokyo huh? Like where all those humans sometimes come from?"
>"Oh."
>Pause for a moment and consider the stone. Better be honest about this one.
>"That's...um...probably worth more than one skewer. Want some more to go?"
> "You think I cannot obtain more at my heart's content? I cannot obtain those skewers anywhere else. To me, I've made a good trade. To you, you've made a good trade. If it bothers you that much, me and Yuyuko are splitting her bill then." Yukari says.
> "Nah, doesn't bother me at all. Thanks!"
> Wait for more customers.
> Yukari, Youmu and Yuyuko leave.
> Shortly afterwards, Keine shows up. She is wearing a ribbon which says 'Mayor' on it and is beaming.
>Whoa.
>Did we even know she was running?
>"Does that mean what I think it means?"
> "Congrats! First one's on the house. I'd offer you a toast, but, you know..."
>Do we have anything like that?
>"Well, anyways, you want something? Like I said, first one's on the house."
>How's our stock looking? Feeding Yuyuko probably depleted it quite a bit.
"Again, congratulations. Have any plans, Mayor-san?"
>"That's fine. I like this spot, anyways."
>Put a lamprey on the grill.
>"SO, what are you here for, then?"
>"I think I know a good place where I can get a good stock of stuff to make drinks with. But I guess I'll need to use all these shinies I get to upgrade the cart. More room for supplies that way."
>Give her a double order. Always helps to be in good with the mayor.
>"So what're they going to do with the old mayor. Does he go to jail now?"
>"I meant more to get the stuff I'd need to upgrade my stand."
>"Well, I'm certainly glad it's you who has the job now."
>"You think I should upgrade the cart to a full-on Food Shack? More room for customers that way I guess. Supplies too."
>"But anyhow, tell me more about all these changes?"
>Let's keep on cookin'!
>"Also, I'm not actually in the village."
>"Well, I hope you succeed."
>"I wonder how long all those folks who don't think it'll work out will last? I'm thinking they're all old folks anyhow, and I know the old mayor's probably not gonna last more than the next 4 years. Call it woman's intuition."
>Shrug. "Eh, fairies will be fairies, as they say. Folks know that if they want to unwind, they come here. I want folks to know that if they need someone to talk to, I'm here for that. It's the job of a proprietor like myself to listen to what customers have to say y'know."
>"Yeah, that is kind of a problem. Wonder if there's a way we can get them to learn how to not take things too far? I bet Rumia might know a way, wherever she is."
>"Except for them that is. They're cute, but hopelessly dim."
Is that lamprey done yet? If so, let's serve it. With a smile.
If not, obviously we should just continue talking about fairies. Something like "Haha, I guess so. I don't know about you, but I'd give quite a bit to have the fairy's ability to do that."
> Wonder if that's true - that you can't kill nature. Have we ever seen a fairy truely die?
>"So, what's the first bit of mayoring you're gonna do? Send that guy to jail? Because he should be for treating us badly!"
>Do we know any of those peoples?
>"Oh, I've never heard anything good about that Jiang Shi. Don't let her bite you! But the temple's nice, you should visit."
>Have any of them dropped by our stand?
>"Oh, if you don't mind doing this, tell 'em that I'm actually gonna have a sale soon. Everything's half off. To celebrate the election of a new mayor."
Smile. "Well now it's half of 'anything shiny'! It's a great deal!"
>"Like, if someone brings a shiny stone, they'd only have to bring half of it!"
>"Well, if they want to use money, just use half the usual amount!"
>Nod. "But yeah, everything's half-off! Gotta celebrate y'know!"
>"....Maybe I should just do a two-for-one deal instead."
>Nod. "Yeah, I'll just do that."
>"Hey, since I might end up getting even more business than usual, I might finally have enough to improve the cart!"
>"Hmm...I guess you're right. I'll have to check on that tomorrow or something."
> Grin warmly. "Well, I can't be keeping you from your work, now can I, Mayor Keine? Hope you enjoyed the food! And remember, if you need a place to unwind after a long day, just swing by!"
>Let's busy ourselves with keeping the grill in top condition until the next customer(s) come along!
>Chuckle. "Sure, I'll get one set up. I'll even throw in an extra one for you too."
>Let's get cooking again!
>Chuckle. "Don't worry, I'll consider it a freebie, since that old stick-in-the-mud ex-mayor's not causing trouble for people like us, and Yuyuko didn't try to eat me for once."
>Package 'em up, and pass 'em off to wriggle. "Here you go. Now here's hoping it works, eh?"
>Rumia and Cirno said something about that we might be able to do it too. Even though we like using our wings better.
>Well, back to keeping the grill in top form for the next customer!
>Chuckle a bit, and bring the supplies back to the cart. Maybe we'll have a customer waiting for us by then.
>Head on over and get our stock set up.
>"So, you guys are wondering what this is, aren't you?"
>Have we ever tried any horrible grilling experiments in the past?
>"Well, you guys want to know what this is, right? This here is my grill cart, I cook food for my customers with it."
>"Grin. "But I don't cook for free, You want the goods? You gotta bring the shinies."
>Grin. "I know you fairies aren't too big on eating, but you haven't really lived until you've had some grilled lamprey from this cart. Even Cirno approves."
>What they don't know won't hurt 'em after all.
>Chuckle. "Well, I was planning for them to order something, but I guess they can just spread the word."
>Let's tend to the grill until someone else comes by.
>Wave a bit. "Heya, looking to order something? Got a 2-for-1 special going today, to celebrate Keine being elected the new mayor!"
>"Anything shiny really. I am a Bird Youkai after all, so I love shiny things."
>"Oh, but don't worry, it's Lamprey, I specialize in cooking 'em y'know."
>Nod. "That'll do it! How many orders you want? Because you'll get double, thanks to the 2-for-1."
>Chuckle. "Fair enough, so a single then."
>Set to cooking up a double!
>"...Y-yeah! How do you know so much about me?!"
>Try not to let our shock distract us from the cooking.
>"...Wow....I guess that'd do it then!"
>Let's keep on cooking until it's done!
>Chuckle a bit. "Hope you've got room to write about restaurants then!"
>Grin. "That's good, because one of these days, I'll be famous in Gensokyo. Not for being strong or anything, but for my cooking!"
>"And you're gonna remember this for the rest of forever!"
>Season that business up real proper.
>"Wow, I never knew I was famous like that. Well, I kinda knew about most of that, but I didn't know I was famous because I helped out Rumia."
>"So, for here or to-go?"
>Let's serve it up to be eaten here then.
>"Well, I was wondering what you think of how things have changed for the village. I mean, that old stick-in-the-mud ain't the mayor anymore, Keine is."
>Chuckle, and put the coins where we keep the shinies. "I'm just wondering about your take on things. It always helps to have more than one opinion on things, y'know?"
>I was referring to the spot in the cart we keep them for the time.
>"I figured there was something to her being that strong for a human, but wow."
(It was more the fact of what SORT of part-youkai she was.)
>Stash the coins in a pocket then.
>"Well, either way, it's good that the village is gonna be more welcoming to people like me who just want to sell their wares."
>Nod. "So, what do you think? I'm looking for new ways to cook 'em too, so if you have any ideas then please let me know. I'll even give you a freebie next visit."
>Nod. "Alright then, but if you ever find a cookbook, lemme know!"
>Shrug. "Some, but that's not really a problem as long as I can read the ingredients and how to cook it."
>Only say that if it's actually true, though.
>Nod. "So, what do you think? Is it good? I'm thinking about moving into a proper building in the village sometime down the line, so my goods are easier to get at.""
>"Well, who knows? Maybe someday it'll just be 'The Village'. A place where human and Youkai alike can set up shop, live, all that good stuff."
>"But anyhow, what do you think about the lamprey?"
>Grin. "Glad you like it."
>"Well, as long as I can have a good stream of customers, I can't complain. And setting up shop in the village, either in a building, or the market, would be a fast track to doing just that."
>Chuckle. "Not like I'm impatient or anything, I got as much time as I need to wait. It just means I'll have more shinies by the time I do."
>"Well, by then youkai'll be coming and going too the way I see it."
>Grin. "But enough of the future eh? Better to live in the here and now I say."
>Chuckle. "Just like really small print isn't mine."
>"Maybe I'll look into that sometime, could be useful. I hear she's a real trickster though."
>"Maybe, but I guess I can get some here, can't be too hard to make them can it?"
>Nod. "That kinda makes sense I guess. It's like using way too much charcoal to cook Lamprey, right?"
>Nod. "I get it now!"
>"Hmm...well, I was wondering what you know about Makai. I know Rumia apparently came from there, and so did Alice, and that Shinki's really crazy about protecting Alice."
>Nod. "Alright, it isn't much, but I guess even you have your limits. Everyone does. I figured that it'd make sense to know more about where Rumia came from, since she's my friend and all."
>"I guess I should have asked Yukari when she was here earlier...Oh well, kinda hard to think straight when you're also faced with your worst fear too.."
>Nod. "Yeah...I'm still scared of her, even though she ended up becoming one of my best customers. She had about 20 orders y'know! I pretty much had to restock after her and Yukari left."
>Nod. "Yeah, she tried eating even me back during that one incident when I first met her.......I'll tell you this right now, it was not fun, I still kinda have nightmares."
>Nod. "Yeah...It sure didn't feel normal, that's for sure."
>"So, uh...Maybe you've got some questions? Because I can't really think of much to ask about..."
>"...Y'know, I never thought about it. I guess we get along because we don't really have a reason to hate each other. Plus, fireflies don't taste too good, leaves your tongue all glowy for a day or two afterwards too."
>Nod with a smile. "I'll let you get going then, unlike us Youkai, you humans kinda do need to sleep at night."
>"Now don't be a stranger, y'hear?"
>Nod. "Whenever you get the time, and are hungry, just come on by."
>What all do we know about Akyu? aside from how she chronicles everything that goes on in Gensokyo?
>Grin. "Well, I can't be holding you up anymore now can I?"
>Set to tidying up he grill.
>Let's get the grill ready for more customers then!
>Let's just wait, we'll find out eventually.
>Let's keep watching, maybe they'll want to buy some food or something.
>...Yeah, let's grab the cart and get the heck outta here. If even she's scared, we REALLY need to skedaddle.
>Anywhere nearby that we can stash the cart and hide in until all this blows over?
>"Ooooh...this is so gonna hurt business....."
>Let's hunker down until all this blows over.
>"Oooh...this is so gonna hurt things for Keine too....."
>Let's keep watching, we can set back up once everything's simmered down.
>Well, the others from the mansion already left, so it should be safe now..
>So let's head over for a closer look! We can pull the cart with us, but leave it a good enough distance from the fire.
>Let's get the arm to her. "I don't think I've ever seen a human actually do something like that. Uh, here?"
>Let's just set the arm down next to her, and go get Keine. She'll know what to do!
>"Oooh....this is so not going to be good for business...Or anything else for that matter...I'll just go get the cart for when she's done...uh, dying I guess?"
>Let's get the cart closer, they'll probably need something to eat when all this finishes.
>"...This could take a while, huh? At least she's got both arms back now?"
>"Don't worry about paying for food though, it's on the house tonight."
(Just a little note, but Mokou does eat when she feels like it. She doesn't always rely on her immortality for that stuff.)
>Sigh. "Fair enough, but just who was that? I mean, she went up against some really strong people, and didn't really seem fazed."
>"She sounded more like an overexcited and somewhat spoiled kid to me. But man, I didn't know there was someone who made even Yuuka seem like a fairy by comparison...Wriggle won't be happy to hear that."
>"Wh-whoa...That just means a girl like me is a lot better-suited to cooking. I may be strong when it comes to Rumia's friends, but all this really shows me that there's always a way bigger fish.."
>"Alright, I'll move the cart out of the way."
>Let's move the cart away from the damaged areas, and put it back in the usual spot once she's done.
>"Whoa...I didn't really know she could do stuff like this! I mean, I could kinda tell she wasn't normal for a human, but wow..."
>Let's get the cart back to the usual spot. "We can talk more about that at the cart. I'm pretty sure dying thirty-seven times is bound to make you hungry."
>"...Er, not that I'd really know about that or anything."
>Nod. "Yeah, but she's a fairy. Plus, I can't remember if she's ever died that many times in one day, much less an hour."
>"I think it's more that it just takes them longer to revive. You revive really quick, so it's easier for you to die more often...I guess? You are only about as durable as a human, right?"
>"Well, I'm not really talking about that...I was talking about how you can really only take hits as well as a human. Which is to say, er, squishily."
>"Well...Uh...."
>Look to Keine. "Uh...is it alright...?"
>"Well, um, okay...Let's do it away from the cart though, I don't want to get it all bloody, okay....?"
>We may as well get this done and over with, we'll have to clean up after this though.
>"Whoa....You weren't kidding!"
>Beat.
>"Yeah...She must really be something else to hit hard enough to actually do that much damage..."
>"...Eheh, think she could give the brief version?"
>Let's head back to the cart.
>"Yeah, that maid, Sakuya, told me to get out of there. And when even she's scared, you know it's bad news."
>"...And here I thought Cirno loved fighting. You're on a whole other level aren't you?"
>"Whoa....You're that old? I bet you must know a lot of new ways to cook then!"
>Nod. "I guess that works for you."
>"Hey Keine, you wouldn't happen to know any new ways of cooking fish would you?"
>Grin at Mokou. "I'll get a double cooked up then. That 2-for-1's still going after all. Only this time it's free too."
>Let's get some lamprey cooked up!
>"Well for starters, if it wasn't for you keeping that kid busy, I'd be out of business, since the village would probably be destroyed. And with it a good bit of my non-youkai customers."
>Chuckle a bit. "Hey, you're one of Keine's friends anyhow. It'd be a bad idea if I didn't show my gratitude y'know."
>Let's finish up on cooking the Lamprey, get it seasoned up nice and proper.
>Well, let's dish up the Lamprey when it's finished.
>"But anyhow, hope you like it. Even Keine, Akyu, and the Red-White like this stuff."
>"So, you like it? I'm pretty good at cooking up grilled Lamprey if I do say so myself."
>Sigh, and roast the other one for a bit longer. "If you say so..."
>Nod. "That could work! I'll have to give it a shot."
>Is the Lamprey cooked to well-done? If so, dish it back up!
>"Well, as long as you like it, that's fine by me."
>Nod. "Yeah, it took a lot of practice to get where I'm at. I used to just scam people with these, claiming they'd fix night-blindness. Along the way I guess I just got really good at cooking them."
>Nod. "Could be that too."
>Chuckle a little. "Well, looks like the chief's spoken, huh?"
>Shrug. "Ah well, hope you liked the food. I'm always open for business y'know."
>Chuckle a bit, then get the grill set up for the next customer.
>How's our supplies looking? Are we low on seasonings?
>Well, may as well set up the cart so people know we're gonna be off foraging and catching up with people!
>Maybe we'll go see Kogasa, since Wriggle's definitely not an option.
>Let's head for the forest at the foot of Youkai Mountain then! We're bound to find some neat ingredients!
>Yeah, we ain't using this batch. Too close to Suzuran. Maybe for the youkai who can actually handle it though.
>But still, let's keep looking around for more ingredients.
>"It's a nice flower, so I didn't want to disturb it. I guess I'll see you around."
>Let's get the heck outta here, top speed.
>If she objects again: "Well, um, Suzuran's poisonous to most people. I'm looking for seasoning for the food I cook for people, and I don't want to risk poisoning someone."
>"So...uh....You aren't going to try poisoning everyone you meet now?"
>We may as well let her talk. "So...what did you want to talk about..?"
>Nod. "So who are you wanting to know about? I hear quite a bit while I'm running my cart."
>"Oh her? She's got this huge Sunflower garden out there,"
>Point in the direction of the garden. "Wriggle's probably already visiting there though, and I dunno how she'll react to having a second visitor. Just about everyone's on pins and needles when they try to deal with her y'know. I'd be careful if I were you."
>Nod, and move away a good enough distance. "Well, hopefully things work out for you. I hear she really goes ape when someone damages one of her flowers."
>Nod, and get to gathering the ingredients! "Thanks for the help! Hope things work out for ya!"
>Let's look around more then! Maybe we'll find something else to use!
>Let's go find a Tengu then! We're both Bird Youkai after all!
>"...What the..?"
>Follow it!
>Let's head for the Tengu Village then! Maybe we'll catch up to it!
(Sensible enough.)
>"Whoa...I didn't know they let others in there. Well, aside from Rumia."
>"Wait...you're a Tengu too?! I thought they were only birds!"
>"Whoa....."
>"Hey, I'm out here looking for new ingredients, would either of you know what plants here are good for seasonings? I don't know much about some of these mountain plants."
>Nod. "Alright, would you mind letting me meet her? ..Or him, whichever the case might be."
>Knock on the door(or doorframe), and wave a little. "Um, hi? I was told you know a lot about the mountain's plants and stuff, so I figured you'd be able to help me find new seasonings and such for my cooking."
>"Mystia, Mystia Lorelei. I run a food cart near the Human Village that sells Grilled Lamprey. I've been looking to find new ingredients to make my dishes better-tasting."
>Wilt a little. "Ooog...Tonight hasn't been my night then..."
>"You try dealing with your worst nightmare, then running into a youkai you first knew to be a major hazard....Ugh....Tonight hasn't been a good one at all..."
>Nod. "I guess you're right, but I've already had a lot of excitement. Yuyuko AND Yukari stopped by the cart the other night. Now don't tell me you wouldn't be put off in a situation like that."
>Sigh. "Nevermind that me and Yuyuko have a pretty...'strange' relationship..." Shudder a bit.
>Nod. "Yeah, I guess so. Know about any other ingredients I can use?"
>Listen attentively.
>"Huh, so there's more than just the ones I can find in forests, huh? I guess I should see about using that too."
>Nod. "Well, that what experimenting is for I guess. I just gotta hope they don't...I dunno, explode or something? I guess I'll see you another time huh? Don't hesitate to drop by if you're around the human village."
>Let's get the plant higher-up, and then work our way down from there, gathering the plants Momiji mentioned. If we end up in the Curse Goddess' Grove in the doing, oh well.
>Alright, let's go with that then. We'll take a few roots from some of the flowers.
>Once that's set and collected, we'll move further down to the next patch of herbs Momiji mentioned.
>Well, let's get this overwith, we may as well go to the grove and stock up.
>"Oooh....I hope this is alright..."
>"I...Uh...Came for some fruits. You see, I was told they make a great glaze for food. I'm a cook kind of, I run a lamprey Cart near the Human Village..."
>"Wow....I didn't know that!"
>Let's pick a few then!
>"Hey, uh, how many should I take? I don't really want to run out too soon, but I also don't want to have too much, y'know?"
>"Hmm....Well, I guess five should hold me for a while. I don't like running out of ingredients while I'm on the job y'know."
>Let's grab five, and stash them with the other ingredients.
>"Well, looks like Momiji was right, you really are pretty nice! I guess I'll see you again if this works out!"
>Let's make for the cart and see about getting these ingredients ready for use!
>And now to wait for more customers. This time we'll let them pick the seasonings they want!
>"Oh hey, you're the lady that fixed Rumia up. Looking for something to eat?"
>Do we know where she is?
>"No, sorry, haven't seen her for a while. But you're more than welcome to order something, seeing as how you helped Rumia out."
>Nod. "Okay, I've got some new seasonings in, so go ahead and pick what you want for each of them!"
>When she orders, set to making them.
>"So, what exactly did you want Rumia to do anyhow? Maybe I can help with that? It's been pretty slow lately, only humans ever come anymore.""
>"Just offer her something shiny, or something good to eat, and she'll come running. How'd you try to get her over there?"
You know, gang, we totally missed a change to eat Mokou's severed arm. Not like she was gonna miss it.
>"You should've bribed her. Oh well, give her awhile and she'll probably forget you. Or just change clothes and wear your hair up."
>Fairies!
>"Well, I'll ask her about it. Want to go find her now?"
>"What's in it for me?"
>"Deal."
>Nod. "Alright, s'not like business was fast today."
>Have we already finished cooking up the orders?
>Nod. "Alright, make sure you get that one with the glaze to the princess quick now, I'm still learning more about how long it's good. All the seasonings that aren't my usual are all new additions. And I'm always open to finding more."
>"Well, I'll go find Cirno and see about getting her to you. It shouldn't be that hard."
>Let's stash the vials in our pocket.
>Look to her with a grin. "Oh, just a customer of mine who was looking for you. She wants you to come to Eientei, and she asked me to make sure you get there."
>Sigh. "Ah well, since you're bored, I'll take you there. I can't get a reputation for disappointing a client after all."
>Let's drag Cirno along to the Bamboo Forest.
>Wave to her. "Heya, liking the Lamprey? I brought Cirno like your boss asked."
>Nod. "Right, let's keep moving!"
>Let's keep going!
>"Anyhow, I've been on the lookout for new ingredients and seasonings these days, gotta make sure I have good enough variety for my customers y'know."
>Nod. "It's a new addition, it was recommended by Momiji, one of the wolf tengu from the mountain. It's a fruit that only grows in one spot up there, she said even humans can eat it, so I figured I'd add it to my list."
>Look to Cirno. "Just about!"
>Let's keep rolling!
>Nod. "Well, I brought Cirno like you asked. Feel free to drop by the cart anytime you want to try the other seasonings. I might just have more to work with next time!"
>Let's wait around to see what happens next!
>Give Reisen a puzzled look. "Uh..."
>Keep watching! "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
>Watch what the crazy doctor lady is doing!
>Watch carefully. "Wow...this is kinda exciting."
>"....Uh-oh. I think she snapped. What do we do? If this keeps up, I don't think anyone can get close to her."
>Look around for a broom.
>If we find one, take it in hand and prod Cirno with it.
>"Well, she does have a spellcard named that. So maybe she's just doing her own experiment?"
>Has Cirno ever behaved like this before? All weird and stuff.
>Take the mop and give her a good firm baseball bat swing in the backside with it!
>"You were freezing more than you were supposed to. If you want to see how cold you can make something, you should do it at home."
>"But you already did it right! Tell her Eirin!"
>"Uh....Is that a bad thing? I hope it's not a bad thing."
>"Whoa....What was that anyhow?"
>"Whoa.....So if we hadn't stopped her, she could have frozen us all?!"
>"Wh-whoa....I never knew how dangerous she could be...!"
>"I..Uh...I think it'd be better if you do that at the lake Cirno..." Sweatdrop.
>"Going by how loud it was, that had to be the Princess that Rumia talked about, huh? I hope she liked the Lamprey."
>Chuckle a bit. "If she does, I might have to start a delivery service!"
>"....Never a dull moment, huh?"
>Well, let's keep going with Reisen.
>"Man...Cirno really goes overboard sometimes. Well, don't be a stranger if you ever head by the Human Village!
>Back to the cart!
Suggestions: Yuuka, Miko, Staori, Utsuho, Koishi, Parsee, Remilia, Yuyuko again, Nue, Murasa, Kanako.
Idea!
Miko and Byakuren can come by, needing a third party to provide some insight on some argument or debate they're having.
That could work too, but I kinda see Mystia as 'The Barkeep' when she's on the job.
The sort of person people go to for that rustic, barkeep-y wisdom you can't really get anywhere else.
(It's why I've been telling folks that if they ever need someone to talk to, she's right here.)
>Nod. "Heya. How've things been? Me, I'm fine. Added some new stuff to the menu, want a sampler? I bet even you'll like it."
>Grin. "Hey, this is gensokyo after all, and you are technically a living umbrella now. At least try it for the taste."
>"...Good point, maybe magic?"
>"Well, you got that tongue don't you? That's how folks taste stuff."
>"Where's who? Rumia? Wriggle?"
>"Oh, made a new friend have you? That's good! Maybe she'll try the new stuff on the menu."
>Nod. "Ah, so where is she then?"
>"Oh really? Well, if she's a friend of yours, she's a friend of mine."
>"Hey! If you can hear this, then come on out and order something already!"
>Sigh, and facepalm. Of course she'd have to be like this....
>"Whatever, you hungry or not?"
>"Sorry, Lamprey's on the menu, but I got plenty of different seasonings and glazes to work with."
>"Wait, really?"
>That would be like us eating chicken...
>Look to Kogasa. "Seriously?"
>Sigh. "Man, I was even gonna give her a discount too."
>Sigh. "Ah well, I may as well rig up a sampler for you at least."
>Let's take a Lamprey or two, and cut it into portions, and season each portion so that each seasoning/glaze is used on a different piece.
>"I don't usually do sampler sets, but if it works out, then I might end up getting more business."
>Grin. "Well, gotta give you the works, but I also gotta make sure I don't run out easy, see? Besides, think of it this way; Folks have a lot of different things about 'em, right? Well, with all these seasonings and glazes, the Lamprey do too!"
>Grin. "Well, you won't know how they taste until you try them, eh? Besides, this helps find out just what you like. And what's more, I'm using up two lamprey for this, so you're actually getting more for a little less. And then there's the discount because you're a friend of Kogasa's, which makes for quite a deal, eh?"
>Pause. "Hey, I just thought of something."
>Then grin. "You can make stuff unidentifiable, yeah? Maybe we can use that for a new menu item. 'Mystery Skewers'. You won't know what seasoning's on them until you try!"
>"I think it could be quite the hit with the more adventurous folks."
>"I ain't talking about the whole way, just visibly. So that way they can still smell feel and taste, but they can't tell what seasonings are on them until they try."
>"I see."
>Cook her up an order, and put... well, put something on it.
>Let's give 'er the works!
>Ah well, Kogasa lives off people being surprised, so this'll be our little way of giving her something to eat.
>Let's get to cooking it up and dishing it out when it's done!
>"Figured I'd give ya the works, see how that turns out."
>Grin. "Alright, but the big question is, do all the flavors mesh well? I'm thinking that this could be a hit with the more adventurous sorts."
>Chuckle a bit. "You can always come by here if things start to get too annoying. I don't mind."
>We'll just have to give it a try sometime. No sense in the chef not trying her own cooking every now and again.
>Well, let's try whipping one up for ourselves then.
>"I guess that makes sense. But don't forget, you can come here too. This cart's open to everyone, Human, Ghost, Youkai, God, whatever."
>"Sanae, I assume?"
>"What happened with you two, anyways?"
>"Wait... that's why you were terrified of Sanae? I get being upset that people didn't believe you, and I get not liking being beaten up, but the only person I've ever been scared of is the one who beat me up and then ate me. DId Sanae do something more to you than what Reimu and Marisa did?"
>"Well, you get excited when you do something fun for the first time, yeah? It was like that for her I guess. Everyone finds different things fun."
>"Take it from me Koga, everyone's got something they like doing. You like surprising folks, I like to cook and sing, and Nue? Well, she does that whole undefined thing."
>Shrug. At least she's not as bad as Cirno.
>"Well, it takes all sorts to keep this crazy place going, y'know? Take the red-white for example. She's lazy, sure, but she's probably the toughest Human I've ever seen."
>"And then you got the people like us. You surprise folks, Nue...Well, she does whatever it is she does. And me? I cook Lamprey. Now all that might not seem important right now, yeah? But if you think about it, it's folks like us who keep the Humans on their toes. And in return, they keep us Youkai on ours."
>Mutter something about something being a riddle for the ages.
>"Well, either way you look at it, there's a lot of different people in this place. just look at that mansion over at the lake. The black-white always robs that place every so often, and keeps those guys on their toes."
>Grin. "Was that a surprise?"
>Well, at least she's better than Cirno, she's too dim to mess with. Cirno's at least good for a laugh or two.
>Speaking of which, where's the goofball been these days? Even she would've visited at least once.
>"Well, there you have it."
>Grin. "Not really, because that was the plan. To surprise you."
>Chuckle a bit. "Hey, we're friends after all, friends mess with each other sometimes, y'know?"
>Chuckle a bit, and get back to finishing the lamprey. Once it's done we'll have a taste. If it does well, this might become a main item!
>"...Bleh. I gotta wonder about that girl, did she eat a lot of dirt as a kid or something?"
>Well, we can always find some hapless fairy to foist it off on. Let's put it in a little wrapper for later so we can do that.
>Well, we'll just make it a special for her, on the off chance she actually does like it.
>"Well, whatever. maybe that'll just be a thing only Nue gets."
>"Betcha it was Nue. She does do that whole Undefined thing after all."
>"Well, guess it's just some troublemaker looking to have their way with you Koga. Don't get in over your head now, okay?"
>Chuckle a bit.
>Chuckle a bit. "Heya Koishi. S'been a while huh? I knew that voice was familiar-ish."
>Turn to face her with a grin. "So, want something to eat?"
>Ah, Kogasa sure is fun to mess with, isn't she? Maybe this is why Sanae does it.
>"Well, if stuff tastes good, and you're hungry, you eat. Pretty simple."
>Let's get something set up for her. We'll pick a random two seasonings that should mesh well.
(Fun fact, the desire to feed is actually partially subconscious. Specifically, it's a subset of the survival instinct.)
>"Just something shiny'll do. Coins, gems, anything sparkly, that sort of stuff."
>Let's keep up the cooking.
>Nod. "That'll do the job."
>Let's finish cooking it, and serve it up.
>Nod. "Yeah, she's an excitable one, almost as excitable as Cirno."
>"Cirno's an ice fairy, she helped out back during the Shinki Incident."
>Grin a bit. "Yeah. But there's no denying that they're both excitable."
>"So, does it taste good?"
>Grin. "That's good to hear!"
>"See, I like to cook y'know. Back in the old days I used to run a scam, but somewhere along the line I actually got good at this, and then the red-white showed up and set me on this path."
>Nod. "It's like I told Koga earlier, it takes all sorts. There's folks like Cirno, who live life blindly, not caring what they run into because they know it'll turn out right in the end. And then there's folks like Keine, Rumia, and the Red-White, who work to make Gensokyo a better place to live in than it was yesterday."
>"Keine's the current mayor of the Human Village, She only just recently got elected, and is working towards fixing how the humans see us Youkai. Not everyone wants to cause trouble and chaos after all. And even Okuu means well with her actions, she just doesn't really think 'em through."
>"She only did that because she had to keep up the mask. She actually cares for everyone, but couldn't show that to us Youkai because of that stick in the mud she replaced."
>Grin. "But because he's not really in a position of power anymore, he can't tell her what to do anymore. She's the big boss now, not that old fart. Even I can tell he won't be around much longer."
>"As for Okuu, who knows with her. She probably does mean well most of the time, but that's probably my status as a fellow Bird Youkai talking."
>"I'd wait on that for a bit Koga, the village still isn't ready for us yet. Give 'em another year or two."
>Sigh a bit. She sure does remind one of Cirno, huh?
>"Well, that'll do it then. Be sure to drop by unannounced too, that'll be sure to surprise her. Just be sure to bring her something, like a box of tea leaves I guess?"
>Grin and chuckle a bit. "Well, I'm sure it'll be a surprise. Just don't do anything to net yourself another headbutt, those things hurt after all."
>"That's Kogasa for you, sometimes I can't tell if she's a mad genius, or an idiot."
>"That makes a lot of sense really, given how Marisa operates."
>Nod. "I kinda figured that. Nobody could be sane while throwing around lasers as freely as she does. I don't think even Yuuka is that nutty."
>"Makes sense."
>"Eh, like I say. It takes all sorts, y'know? Besides, I never really cared what others call me."
>"....That's different."
>"Hey, neither of you have ever been eaten. Give that a try, and we'll see if you're still laughing."
>Sigh a bit. "Well, let's just say it ain't fun."
>"But yeah. Consider yourselves lucky nobody's tried that yet."
>"Yeaaah, not fun huh? Since it was a ghost, I still lived through it. But let's just say I don't care to repeat it."
>Nod. "It was Yuyuko. Trust me when I say it was really uncomfortable."
>"Yeah."
>"Who knows with her? I hear she does half the things she does just because the whim struck her."
>"I heard that some folks can go there even without being dead. Reimu and Marisa would know how I think. I hear Yuyuko was behind an incident a long time back that they resolved, so they had to get in there somehow."
>"Well, I haven't really been there myself either. I just know that even the living can get there if they know what they're doing."
>What interesting stuff do we know of that's happened, other than Keine becoming the Mayor?
>"Well, the folks from the Scarlet Devil Mansion showed up a a few nights back, and I do mean all of them."
>Sigh wearily. "Man was that some scary stuff, I had no idea how strong the little sister was. I'm glad Sakuya told me to run when I did. It could've gotten real messy! Sometimes I worry about if my heart can take stuff like that..."
>"Well, she sure didn't have it easy, I'll tell you that much. It took one of the Village Guardians stepping in to resolve it completely. Girl by the name of Mokou, great friends with Keine. Durable to the point of near-invincibility when compared to a Youkai like me."
>Nod. "Man, it's a good thing she was Immortal too, Apparently that little sister was able to kill her around 37 times in a single hit! Truth be told, until then I never knew there was one."
>Chuckle a bit. "Looking back now, it was kinda funny, in a morbid sort of way. Revive, die, revive, die, revive, die, revive, die. it just kept going."
>"I think it's more that she's gotten used to it. She did say it still hurts after all, it took her until about the 35th or so revive to actually consider ordering something."
>Just as planned.
>"Yeah, if Reimu doesn't work, try Marisa. And if that doesn't work, try Sakuya. And if she doesn't work, try Reimu or something. Something like that."
>Nod. "That's true, maybe you should find Rumia if you're gonna ask her?"
>"True, but she's been missing for a while, I bet she's off training or something. She has wanted to get stronger to help keep everyone safe ever since the Makai Incident. So I guess you'd be everyone too."
>....
>"Well, I'm not one for this existential talk, so I guess yeah? I mean, you ARE one of the folks Rumia calls a friend after all. And these days she's wanted to protect more than just her friends, but Gensokyo too."
>Nod. "Well, see you later then. Have a good time Koga."
>Well, back to tending the grill, gotta clean it up after that little travesty from earlier.