> "Hmm...that's definitely a lot to think about...how precisely does the weight of karma manifest itself?"
>"I... do not think I seek being a youkai for it's own sake, although I admit that I'm curious what it would be like to experience that. But there's so much about magic that I want to learn, and understand and be able to do. And if such a change would be inevitable if I were to continue to practice, anyway... Gensokyo feels like a place where having that sort of power can help do actual good."
> First
> Troll Kilga
> Wait for Draco to say something smart.
> Hump Byakuren
>"I... think it's the permanence of this that frightens me. I can only imagine what it would be like beforehand, and yet afterwards will have to live with that decision for the rest of my life, or beyond, even. May I ask... why you chose the path you did?"
>"Thank you, Byakuren. Your kindness and understanding mean a great deal to me. I... think I may go have a look for some of the components of this second ritual. Even if I choose not to go through with it, the trip may give me time to think."
>"I would appreciate that. Thank you."
>"Um... I don't think anything else comes to mind right now."
>Wait patiently for Byakuren's return
>"Thank you."
>Wait patiently for Byakuren's return
> How many people have we told about Renko's fairy army plan, in any capacity?
>Continue to wait patiently
>"Thank you."
>Accept the jars
>"You said the river itself is safe, right?"
>Are we a good enough diver to be confident about getting down 25 feet to get that water?
>Otherwise: "Do you have any techniques that might make it easier to acquire water at that depth? I'm... not that great of a diver."
>"Inhabited? ...should I infer that it's inhabited by somewhat different things than one would normally expect to find in a river?"
>"Well... it seemed the most obvious way to get water. I'm not exactly at the point where I can magic it up to me, just yet. But I'm sure I can figure something out."
>"Thank you again."
>Head to Reimu's
>Walk up to them
>"Hey there. I see she seems to have calmed down a little."
>"I just came to ask you a question, this time. A little ironic, given our last discussion. Do you know how I can get to Hakugyukurou? I want to speak with the ghost princess."
>"I said that I wished to speak with the ghost princess. Is there some harm in doing so? Have I breached some protocol? I'm sorry, I'm not really familiar with the rules about there, here."
>"Well, Byakuren suggested she might be able to help me find something. I wouldn't mean to bother her."
>"Thank you very much. And I have no intention of spreading this around, or interfering with the cycle of death, I assure you."
>"Oh, um... perhaps I should leave this here with you, for the moment? In case they somehow notice and it draws suspicion."
>Take out the ghost-sealing jar
>"Thanks again."
>Leave the jar where she indicated
>Follow her directions to Hakugyokurou. Try to take an aerial route, at least around the hill with the lilies, given the warning we were previously given about its occupant.
>Head towards those columns
>Continue onward, over the door
>Continue carefully upward over the door
>Be ready to catch ourselves if it feels we're going to fall
>Land safely on the other side
>Continue up the staircase
>If flight still seems possible, save ourselves a little effort and hover up them
>Bow our head politely
>"I've come seeking an audience with the ghost princess."
>"I wished to obtain some essence of the Netherworld."
>"An aspiring one, anyway."
>"I'm not sure there can be physical proof of good intentions. Byakuren was the one who informed me to come here. She's given me her trust, and I gather that she's earned a trustworthy reputation herself."
>Are the charms on the bottle that Byakuren gave us potentially distinguishing as having come from her? If so, try showing the bottle.
>"But if there's some other way I could prove I have no bad intentions, please ask it of me."
>"Thank you most kindly."
>Follow along
>"I'll hope that's a good thing."
>Bow our head respectfully
>"Greetings, Lady Yuyuko. My name is Maribel. I have come searching for some essence of the Netherworld."
>"It is an essential component in an enchantment that I'm gathering materials for."
> "Um...the same enchantment that Byakuren Hijiri used to enhance herself. Also, I've heard that your gate keeper disappeared for a few months. I...might have information on that."
> "Um...Hijiri Byakuren. Apparently a long time ago she got some essence of the netherworld, so I figured you might know her. At any rate, um, did Youmu tell you if she had a dream or not?"
> "Well, real to some extent. Given the methods of it's reversal, it's 'reality' is quite debateable at this point. Essentially, while it happened, it didn't. Anyway, I think it'd probably be better to just treat it as a dream, but I also wanted to at least give you some assurances that your worries about a repeat incident weren't as warranted as you might have thought."
> "Hmm...I don't think Byakuren said anything about a gem...if it helps any the enchantment she used made her grow in size rather greatly. Not fat, but a proportional enlargement"
>"Essentially, I think the Netherworld was outside of both the grasp of the phenomenon's creation and undoing. The Sanzu River was similar, and I think there may have been a few other places unaffected."
> "Gradient hair I assume? That would be her if so."
>"She a very kind and generous person, and she's helped me a great deal since I arrived here."
>Can we tell what Yuyuko is doing with those sticks at all? Do they just look like regular branches or something?
>"Um, I have no idea if she cooks at all, to be honest."
>"And if it's not impolite, may I inquire what that pile of branches in front of you is?"
>"I... suppose that I was unable to see the resemblance. I apologize."
>"I'm... sure they do. And I'm sure I do, as well."
>Can we see any sort of imagery in it at all, if we decide to interpret that liberally, a la rorschach inkblots?
>"I'm afraid that I really don't think I can grasp the portraiture in this sort of creation at the moment. The shape... reminds me a little of a bat. I don't mean to be offensive..."
>"I just seems a bit crude to say that it looks like a pile of sticks..."
>"Well, presumably because you chose them, and shaped them in the way that they are, unlike other arbitrary piles."
>"Are you implying then, that they're a portrait of the world because they came from the world?"
>"Well, someone must have moved them if they ended up on the table, mustn't they?"
>Did the sticks looked woven together in a way that would only be the result of someone's deliberate action?
>If so: "Well, it seems unlikely they would end up in that configuration without someone having arranged them that way."
> "Hmm...after you drop them on the table the world takes over, perhaps?"
>"So... it's not a portrait of the world, in the sense that someone made it to resemble the world, but a portrait of the world in the sense that the world itself created it."
>"That's a... way of looking at things that I suppose I hadn't considered."
>"But... about what I came here for. Are you amenable to it?"
> "...uh...yeah...it's a fog like thing, right?"
> When we're sufficiently far away from Yuyuko
> "Um...what just happened?"
> "Um...does she usually forget things like that? I mean, it just seemed kinda odd that she'd forget what I came for..."
> Compliment the garden.
>"I'm curious. What do you remember about the dream, if you don't consider it too private."
>"That... sounds like it might have been a lonely life."
>"I'd think... having to keep that many secrets would feel like a burden, after a while. At least for me."
>"You can communicate with these ghosts, can't you?"
>"Forgive me if the question is ignorant, but do these phantoms have a similar degree of consciousness and awareness as a living being?"
>"I see. I guess... I'm just not used to the idea of seeing people who've passed on in a tangible form. And since they didn't seem able to communicate with most people..."
>"Thank you very much, Youmu. Have a pleasant day."
>Head forward in the direction indicated
>Keep an eye on our phantom guide
>Well, she did say that we'd reach the edge sooner than it looked like, so keep on going
>Does this mist seem tangible enough to scoop up and collect?
>Then keep on going
>Can we tell what these other motions might be?
>Does the mist seem dense enough to gather, yet?
>If so, collect it
>Otherwise, keep going, keeping an eye on our guide so we don't get separated.
>Is mist is tangible yet, collect it
>Otherwise, continue onward
>Trust that they wouldn't have sent us here without a warning if we were in any danger. Right?
>Move a little closer
>Can we tell what it is, roughly?
>Quickly shift out of the way!
>Follow its path as it moves past us
>Does it seem to be trying to attack us, or just moving too close for comfort in a low-visibility environment?
>Look to our ghostly companion
>"If you can understand me, can you show me the way forward?"
>If it moves, follow it
>Keep a wary eye on the motion, but make sure not to lose sight of our guide, and continue to follow it
> Quick Inventory Check
> If we have the bottle of light, it might be useful?
>Is that a shadowy form beneath us? Or a shadow being cast by something above us?
>Can we tell any more details about it?
>We're not flying, right? So how can it be below us? Does the ground under us feel solid?
>Assuming no further potentially hostile action, continue following the phantom
>Do we actually remember consciously trying to fly? We did start out by walking, right?
>Continue forward
>Keep an eye on the netherwhale, and try to move such that it's no longer directly beneath us, in case it 'surfaces'
>Sit and wait for it to show up. It seems to be able to see around here better than we can.
>Go closer and investigate the plumes
>Turn around
>Try to identify the source of the voice
>If we can't see anything obvious: "Who's there?"
> "Um...hi? I'm gathering essence of the netherworld...lady Yuyuko said it was ok..."
> "And who might you be? Did I not see you at the SDM?"
> Activate Polite Modus
> "Ah, I'm collecting the essence of the netherworld for an enchantment."
> "My name's Maribel, do you have a name?"
>"Why do you... look like someone else I met, earlier?"
>"And... not to sound rude, but... what are you?"
>"You don't object to me collecting this, do you?"
> "Well...I'm gathering it to better myself and my abilities."
>"What is it you do here? Wherever 'here' is, for that matter."
>"How long have you been here?"
> Make mental note to mention this to Patchy or Sakuya later.
>"And, uh... what are you planning to do when the end comes?"
>"I don't understand. How can you bring about something you're also waiting for as a signal to act?"
>"I see. ...how will you know when it begins? ...do you have any idea when it begins?"
>"What do you mean by 'fully removed'?"
>"And... how would this be dealt with?"
>"Do you... want everything to end? Why?"
>"And... just to make sure I understand, if this the end of everything? Or just yourself?"
>"I... just wanted to make sure, since you talked about how it depended on your own attachment to the world, and all."
>"Do you ever talk to anyone else? Do you ever wander in closer, where other people can see you?"
>"Do you... have any desires, besides waiting for the end?"
>"But didn't you already say that you desired the end?"
>"How did it end up being your role, though?"
>"I admit that's not a role I would want to fulfill, myself."
>Try gathering up the essence of the Netherworld with our jar
> Wow, we have a hell of an excuse to go back to the mansion now.
>"Well, is there anything else I can do for you?"
>Gather up the essence
>To alt-Flandre: "Well, I should be on my way now."
>To phantom: "Can you show me the way back?"
>Follow the phantom
>"Mystia!?"
>".....what?!"
>"No, I mean... is that really you? What are you doing here?"
>"No, I just... this is a very strange place to meet someone you know."
>"And you.... really are Mystia?"
>"I'm, uh... not sure what you mean. And, what do you mean 'already'?"
>"And how exactly would you know about that?"
>"Well, because no one else was there at the time, and I never told you. Those seem like pretty good reasons to me."
>"Well, I'm sorry I offended you. Is there anything I can do for you?"
>"As a youkai, you mean?"
>"I admit I'm still a bit nervous, myself."
>Are we still walking forward, following that phantom?
>If not, continue to move, if Mystia falls in beside us
>"Well, I rather hope I don't look too different when all is said and done, to be honest."
>"I'm... not sure cosmetics can shrink a person. Or, rather, I'm sure that they can't."
>"Not so sure of that myself... Of course, I'm hardly in a position to know what things magic can and cannot do. Except remove enchantments, evidently."
>Does she seem to be changing color, or was she always less brightly colored, and we just never noticed?
>"Hmmm... what's happening to you?"
>"Well, you're... kinda fading away at the moment. I mean, look at yourself."
>"Hmmm.... nevermind."
>Continue onward
>"I will!"
>Return to the garden we left from
>Quickly regain our flight!
>Can we see the ground? Or anything else around us for that matter?
>Land on the sweet, sweet solid ground
>Catch breath
>Ponder what in the world just happened
>How could we forget to fly?
>Head back to the building complex
>"I retrieved what I set out to obtain, in any event. But... I had several unsettling encounters in the mist. I was wondering if you might be able to help me understand what they were."
>"At the place where I found the essence, something that looked like a person came and spoke with me. She looked just like the young mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, although she claimed not to know them. She... said it was her task to bring on the end of all things when the time was right. That she was simply waiting for her attachments to this world to be gone, before she could act. ...do you have any idea what she was?"
>"Really? She didn't really exist? I doubt she could have come from my memories, since I don't know almost anything about her, but now that you mention it I... almost thought my guide was cowering behind me there, although I admit that I might be reaching."
>"I suppose that also explains the second encounter. It was with Mystia, who I actually do know a little, or at least someone who looked like her. She was offended when I doubted that she was really Mystia, despite her knowing things from my own memories that it would be nearly impossible for her to know."
>"I... admit to being very unsettled by this young mistress, myself. You're certain there really isn't some entity out there waiting to usher in the end of all things?"
>"Her personality was very strange. Serene, even. She said that it was the role she had been born into, and that she was meditating in an attempt to shed all attachments to the world. Flandre is her name, you say? She never called herself that. She said her name had been discarded long ago. Is that at all like her?"
>"Yes, perhaps I might talk with them... Although if, as you say, there was nothing real about it, perhaps there's no point. Forgive me, I think I may just have found it more unsettling than I realized."
>"Well, that's a little reassuring at the least. Although I wonder the real the one would be made more or less disturbing now by contrast."
>"In any event, thank you for your assistance and those answers."
>Turn to the phantom: "And thank you as well. I would have lost my way without you."
>"Well, I should probably get back now. Have a pleasant evening!"
>Leave the Netherworld
>Thank the Parser for the Jeff cameo.
> Did we ever ask Youmu what she was doing that she got sucked into the 'dream' world when Yuyuko didn't?
> Well fuck.
> What else was on that second enhancement list that we don't have?
> About how much time is left before sundown?
> Well fuck. Again.
> How are we holding up?
>Go the Sanzu River
O> Don't go to the Sanzu River just yet.
> Head back to the forest again, looking for Renko.
>Look around for Renko
>Go land next to her
>"Hello again!"
>Smile
>"Pretty well, all things considered. Still running all over the place. I must say that it's kind of nice to be back someplace more... normal. Kinda funny thinking of it that way now. I just got back from the far edge of the Netherworld."
>"Like I said, edge of the Netherworld. Was a... kind of disturbing place, really. Mist so think you couldn't see a foot in front of your face. Phantom images of people you know, but not quite the people you know. Giant whale things and winged serpents flying through the clouds."
>"I'm... not sure I can, to be honest. I had to get special permission of the ruler of the Netherworld to go there in the first place, and it was only because I had a specific errand to run; I had to collect something only found on the edge of the place."
>"Well, I admit it's nice to see you again. But there was still at least one or two more tasks on my life for the day. That's actually one of the reasons I came back here. I'm headed to the Sanzu River on some business. You said earlier that you were interested in seeing the place?"
>"She the one who ferries the spirits of the dead across the river. I thought I mentioned her already?"
>"Oh, I hear ya. It's certainly been an incredibly busy day for me, too."
>"Shall we get going, then? Shouldn't take too long, I hope."
>"What is it exactly?"
>Sample a little bit
>"This is actually pretty good. I suppose there's no cutlery or anything around, is there?"
>Assuming not, just drink up some more
>"Well, I suppose I can."
>Head off towards the river, drinking as we go
>"I met Plum Blossom again on my way to Reimu's. Managed to convince her to work up the courage to speak to Reimu. Well, more like confess her everlasting adoration, in the end... She was both utterly adorable and frighteningly exuberant."
>"No, thank god. I was kinda worried she would, to be honest. She did seem rather annoyed about the whole thing, and tried to shake her off. Plum Flower had, uh, kinda just clamped onto her leg. But I think I eventually convinced Reimu that it would be ok to indulge her a little. Maybe let her help out with any sewing that needed doing. Last I left them, Plum Flower was curled up quietly in Reimu's lap."
>"No. Nor figuratively, yet, at least explicitly. Though it's pretty clear Reimu's not too fond of the extent of Plum's enthusiasm... do you have any suggestions for what might get her to calm down, lastingly?"
>"Either way, Plum said that she could sew, so I suggested she stay there for a while and see if she can help Reimu out with that. Reimu didn't throw away the idea, at least, so we'll have to see how that goes."
>"Last I saw Reimu'd agreed to let Plum lie in her lap to get her to calm down. Rather catlike, and pretty cute."
>"Yeah, I think so. Or, at least, the last component I have to go out of my way to get."
>"Well, I'm choosing to look at it as a great way to get to know the corners of Gensokyo, whether anything came of it or not."
>Wonder how Byakuren was going to obtain that immortal's blood.
>... or does that mean she's immortal now, herself?
It's not really my decision, but I throw up here that I don't think this is a good idea, this stronger enchantment. It feels too easy and fast to me. There has to be more downsides to this. Not to mention it feels pretty... egoistical against Renko. I mean unfair.
>Continue to the Sanzu River
>Have a look around for Komachi. If her boat is there, she ought to be around somewhere, right?
>Does the boat seem to be sailing across the river?
>Approaching THIS shore?
>"Yeah, this is it. Would look pretty normal if not for what I knew it was."
>"Yeah, I know what you mean. But I'm quite certain this is where the dead cross. There... might even be some around, now. I saw Komachi speaking to things I couldn't see, earlier."
>Wave back
>"Hey there, yourself! How're things?"
> "Yes, actually, that's completely it..."
> Start to tear up
> "I-It's just all so overwhelming...a-and me and Renko...well...we couldn't bear to be apart in this but I just can't take this place..."
> "S-so we've decided to just end it...together..."
> Stop the hysterics
> "Nah, just kidding, we're actually wondering if you can help us out"
>"Well, actually, I was looking to get some water from the depths of the river. Would need to be about four fathoms in depth. I don't suppose you might have a good way of getting some from down there?"
>"What do you mean?"
> "Well, I'm willing to at least listen to see if I can give it a try..."
>"I said a 'good way'. I don't think diving counts as 'good' with those provisos."
> "Well, how can I know I wouldn't make it if you won't tell me? I have a decent understanding of my limits and won't do anything stupid"
>"You've piqued my curiosity either way, for that matter."
>"You want me to give you compensation for merely telling me about a method of getting it that you already admit you think will kill me?"
>"You want me to give you compensation for merely telling me about a method of getting it that you already admit you think will kill me?"
>"And this is Renko, a very close friend of mine. Renko, this is Komachi."
>What no she's angry enough no need for that tone
>"Renko, a very close friend of mine from the outer world. She ended up here as well, though it took me a while to find her."
> "Very, very, VERY close, my dear Renko."
> Wink and put arm around her waist
> "At any rate, what would make it worth your while?"
>Smile
>To Renko: "Shall I put more emphasis on the very next time?"
>To Komachi: "And what would I be able to do that you think would be fair trade?"
> "I'll give you panty shots of the Yama!"
> "Well, probably a service then. But I confess I don't know what sort of services you'd need..."
>inventory
>"Well, I'm not sure how much there is in the way of entertainment all the way out here... although I guess you'd get some time off to remedy that, wouldn't you?">strip
>"Well, I have no idea what your tastes are, but I'll see if I have anything in here that might interest you."
>Root around in our bag
>Show her the silk flower, and gauge her interest
>Assuming no particular interest, try the silver figurine
>Show her the emerald necklace
>Note to self: Sneak the Ring of Rhythm onto Renko's finger sometime.
>... would she like the yo-yo? Especially if we explained what it's normally used for? It's not a bad portable way to amuse yourself...
> Let's go with the necklace!
>Give her the bottle
>"I think it looks quite nice on you!"
>Try not to freak out.
>"And Pochi is, um... VERY impressive. Should I want to know more about uh... him? Her? It?"
>"Yeah... I don't think I'd need any more reminding not to swim around there than that...."
>"I did get an offhand warning or two about sea monsters, but that was... a bit more than I was expecting."
>"I don't know if Pochi would let just anyone walk into that mouth-cave and live... or what she'd do if she found someone underwater. I think Komachi would have given me a more detailed warning, at least, but..."
>shudder
> To Komachi: "Wow...uh, thanks."
> To Renko: "Glad you came now?"
>"Village?"
>"I suppose that... wouldn't entirely surprise me, from what I saw of them."
>"No, I think that's it. Thanks again!"
>Head out
> "Huh. So what's who she was talking to that other time."
>Wonder why we couldn't see them this morning
>"I wouldn't worry about them, unless they try anything. There were plenty of phantoms in the netherworld and they were all perfectly polite. One of them even guided me to where I had to go. I would have gotten lost without it. Evidently they have the full sentience of a person, even though normal people can't communicate with them. Well, rather, can't understand them. The phantom seemed to understand me talking to it just fine."
> "I don't think we're going to get a repeat of that house, apparently that only happened because we angered them. Probably just from being in the room at all."
> "Oh, that reminds me. Reimu exorcised that house, so...it's ours, if we want it."
> "Huh. So what's who she was talking to that other time."
> "I don't think we're going to get a repeat of that house, apparently that only happened because we angered them. Probably just from being in the room at all."
> "Oh, that reminds me. Reimu exorcised that house, so...it's ours, if we want it."
>Wonder why we couldn't see them this morning
>"I wouldn't worry about them, unless they try anything. There were plenty of phantoms in the netherworld and they were all perfectly polite. One of them even guided me to where I had to go. I would have gotten lost without it. Evidently they have the full sentience of a person, even though normal people can't communicate with them. Well, rather, can't understand them. The phantom seemed to understand me talking to it just fine."
>"That's a thought. Reimu said that we'd have to do it soon, or more ghosts would come back. Said we might have anywhere from a week or two to a month or two, depending. Sooner the better, though."
>"And how'd that go, anyway? Now that Alice is out. I know you said you were off to discuss some of that with the other fairies."
>"So when are you planning to do it? Early tomorrow morning?"
> "I wonder if they're going to be in much of any condition to raid the pantry...kinda wonder if they also won't care they're stealing food from their fellow fairies."
> "Also, I've been thinking. I've said I won't take part in this, and I stand by that...but I think I will want to be there anyway. I can't really substantiate it, but...I have a bad feeling you-know-who may be watching this battle, waiting for it to end, so she can swoop in and take out the winning party and take the mansion for herself."
> "Yeah, I knew I was going to want to watch, just to reassure myself things will be okay. And then I thought of that, and...I don't really want to see you two fight, but I REALLY don't want to see both you get taken out by her. If I'm there and not doing anything, well...I can stop her."
>"As long as you're not doing this to hurt anyone else, of course I do, Renko. You know I'm in your corner. And I can't wait to see the look on Alice's face if you pull this one off. ....although I mightn't mind observing that look from a safe distance..."
> "My...ideal outcome has a few things not likely to happen, but you winning is definitely a part of what I'm hoping for, yes. Like I've said before, I want you to have your moment, your thing you can hang your hat on and show the world. I'd still prefer your grand achievement be something other than this, but if this is what must be done, then it is what it is."
> "It's easier to explain what I do want to happen. I want a respectable fight that both sides can 'enjoy', where the loser tips their cap to the winner, property damage is minimized and no grudges are held."
>"I wouldn't count on that. I mean, she has a lot of visibility out across that lake. How would you manage a surprise attack?"
>"What... kinda sob story were you planning on using?"
> "Yeah, it sounds like I'm patently not going to get what I want on this one, then. I guess it had to happen to someone, though, and I have the least at stake, so it might as well be me. Shame, Meiling was always really nice to me."
> "Oh, you're right, I'm sorry. It's just...it's been a long day. And it isn't over yet."
>"I'm not sure what I could say that the fairies who've lived there haven't already covered. I've only spoken with Meiling, Patchouli, and Sakuya, and never seen any of them unleash what they're capable of. You do realize that Sakuya can freeze time, correct?"
> Let's review what we do know, then.
> We know Sakuya can stop time, and is apparently very frightening. Do we know what else she can do?
> We know Patchouli is a magician. Anything beyond that?
> Do we know anything about Meiling or the head of the household? We haven't even met the latter, though we do know she's a vampire.
> We do know Flandre has a nasty tendency to break unfamiliar things and people, and we've seen a freaky version of her in the Netherworld, but we also know the rest of the house doesn't want her to fight.
>"I... may have something that could help with that. I mean the 'stopping her from speaking' bit. Although it would have side effects on your army, too."
>"I came across a cube that contains the silence of the void. ...whatever that is. But the gist of it is, when you open it, you prevent all sound in an area for a time. I was given an estimate of about 1-2 minutes of total silence in a 50 yard area, slowly becoming less effective at a larger range until it dissipates. Of course, the catch being that no sound of your own will pass through that area, as well. No orders, nothing. And you'd have to be close to her when you used it. You'd only get one shot with it. I don't know if it would be a net gain or not."
>"Perhaps with Sakuya, it would be a good idea not to present too many good targets to her at a single time? Force her to not be able to get the best use out of her ability, until you're ready to focus on her?"
>"I'm not sure that she has a huge lot of downtime between usages. And I'm pretty sure there's not going to be any way NOT to get caught off-guard by it. I mean, by definition, you never see what she's doing, so it all seems to happen at once."
>"Is there anything else I could do that might be helpful, information-wise? I wish something more came to my own mind..."
>"You have any idea how you'd go about doing that, though?"
>"How're you planning to deal with the vampire? I understand that she probably won't be much good out in the sun, but they have no reason to exit the building to fight you, either."
>"Well, I suppose if she has a reputation for pride, she mightn't be willing to stand idly by while an army camps in her courtyard, after possibly subduing her servants."
>Did Rinnosuke say that the light in the bottle of softly glowing light was actually SUNlight?
>"Now that I think about it, Kourindou actually had a bottle of sealed sunlight on the shelf the last time I was there. I don't know how strong an effect it would have on that vampire, but...."
>"He seems to be on a barter-only system, so I couldn't even tell you what it was going for. But I might have something in here that could be worth trading for it. I seem to be acquiring a bit of a collection."
>"Any idea why the fairies won't go near the place?"
>Start towards Kourindou
>"The shopkeeper's demeanor was a bit cool, but quite professional. I wouldn't see that that would keep them away."
>"And there's tons of junk outside the place, too. ...maybe they've learned not to try it with him for whatever reason?"
>"Well, for what it's worth, he didn't seem especially scary to me. A little odd, but not scary."
>"Renko, there's something else that's on my mind I wanted to talk about. It's about that enchantment Byakuren offered. Well... now she's given me alternate choice, and it's a lot better in some ways, but... it has some provisos attached."
>"Well, you see, what I've learned is that these enchantments don't stack. When you get one, that's it. You can't get a different one. You can't remove your old one. And, in effect, they set the upper limit of what you will ever be magically capable of. This second one is much stronger than the first was. And, in a way, I don't want to effectively 'handicap' myself by setting my upper threshold lower than what it could be, you know?"
>"The problem is... well, Byakuren said that this will probably also incur some... size increase. On a lesser scale than her own, although she could not say exactly how much it would be. And, well, that's kinda...."
>"I... don't know. It's a bit unnerving, you know. The permanence of it. And, well... I wouldn't want to make you feel uncomfortable, either. We're in this together, Renko."
>"You've... gotten pretty good at taking crazy things in stride, haven't you? I guess we both have, after a fashion. So you'd really be ok with it? Don't hold back for my sake."
>"Renko..."
>Match velocities and take her hand. Try to gently encourage a stop.
>"You are an amazing person, you know. I can't say how much it means to have you in the thick of this with me, and for you to be so understanding. I love you, Renko."
>Kiss her. Haven't been doing enough of that lately.
>"I want to do what I can to make you happy, too. After this whole business is over, do you have any idea what you want to reach for next?"
>"It's nice having some not-so-crazy goals in the middle of it all, you know? Doing nothing but learning new ways to do the impossible every day would get a little tiring, I think. Nothing like home sweet home, after all. ...speaking of which, I've hardly sat down all day. I think I'm going to sleep like a log once this is all done. Probably doubly-so, if what Byakuren said about the recovery time on those enchantments holds up."
>"Anyhow, let's go get you some sunlight in a jar, shall we?"
>Continue to Kourindou
>"Well, treasure or no treasure, I'm sure we can find something to do around here that would keep us fed."
>"And yeah, it does, doesn't it? Pretty random collection of merchandise inside, too. Boringly normal stuff, and exotic magical stuff. ...sometimes hard to tell which is which, to be honest. Anyway, let's go inside."
>Go inside
>Step inside
>"Does that mean we only have ten seconds to get what we came for?"
>"I'm interested in the Bottle of Soft Light. What would you accept for it?"
> Review assessment of how Renko and ourselves would look wearing the Star Armlet, both in our current outfits and in our normal outfits.
> Trade the Star Armlet for the Bottle of Soft Light
>"Same place, actually. I helped them with a rat problem. I got a discount."
>"Thanks again!"
>Leave the shop
>Nod
>"Have a pleasant evening as well."
>Exit the store
>"Well, I think the only big thing left on my to-do list for the day at this point might be Byakuren. I've gathered all the materials she said were required."
>"What about you? Any plans other than taking it easy, and resting up for the big day tomorrow?"
>Make out
>"Hm, there was another girl at the mansion, I think... she sounds really dangerous, but the others didn't want her to fight. Do you know about her?"
>Perhaps warning the SDM so that they keep Flandre out of the way themselves is a good thing in the end...
>Nod.
>"That sounds about right. And what I'd want you to do. I don't think I want to see her try to 'break' you, especially among the confusion of all the fairies that she apparently can 'break' without too much consequence..."
>Perhaps warning the SDM so that they keep Flandre out of the way themselves is a good thing in the end...
>Wonder how late we can afford to stall before visiting Byakuren. Helping Renko with that relaxation bit for a while might be nice.
We already essentially did this. It was mentioned to Sakuya, and she made it clear Flandre would not be involved. We can't TELL Renko we know this, of course.
>"Wait - whose top priority was it that Flandre stay out of trouble? The mansion's, or you guys for the attack?"
>"Why'd you say 'I' twice there?"
>"So... if you think you can get away with making this a straight fight, would it be a terrible idea to give them a minute's warning to make sure they get Flandre safely out of the way before accidentally rushing right into her? She was out and about a bit when I visited, even though she wasn't supposed to be."
>"Do you think I should try and deliver that message?"
I dunno who else is watching me make a fool of myself
Are we not going to give her the ring, then?
I guess I try to be too careful, eh?
>Smile.
>"Alright. Thanks, Renko. I guess that gives me some more purpose once I show up to watch, too."
>Wrap our arms around her.
>"Now, I think you said you wanted to relax some tonight..."
(7:44:28 PM) (Purvis): *::Hearts Boxcars::*
(7:44:28 PM) E mouse2000 <AUTO-REPLY> : I'm not here right now
(7:49:37 PM) E mouse2000: wait what
(7:59:29 PM) (Purvis): *::Hearts Boxcars::* (http://mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=004449)
(7:59:50 PM) E mouse2000: Ah well balls to you :P
>Give her a kiss and find a nice spot to cuddle.
>[/s]Make out[s]
> Thank $DEITY Kogasa didn't wander in on us.
> Small smile.
> "I don't believe you did."
> Take her hand.
> "Certainly."
> "Yeah...and the tent is pretty nice too."
> Small smile.
> Frown.
> "That's not what I meant, silly."
>Pet back.
>"Still prefer your arms, though~"
Well, time is winding down, so we might as well decide this soon. Let's have one last in-game conversation on the subject and then decide what we're going to do about the elephant in the quest room.
> "Hee~ Of course we can keep the tent."
> "So...I've been thinking all day about where we're going to go from here. Not just the two of us on a personal level, but...how we're going to live out our days, since it seems we've both decided we'll be spending them here."
> "Well, given what I've seen today, we could get by on odd jobs for people, at the very least. The university is still an option, too, when it gets built. Not teaching science, of course, but...a course in the culture of the outside world could work. I talked to Nitori about it, and she thought it would be possible. She thinks some of what goes on outside might be 'hard to swallow', but...I think that just makes it all the more interesting to teach, you know?"
> "I'm sure it couldn't be too hard for us to pick up. I mean, it'll be a university, right? We could probably just apply a lot of what we've experienced as students. I'm sure there will be more than that, but...we could probably ask Keine for some pointers."
> "I don't think that will be too much of a problem. We'd just need to be sure we don't schedule office hours on days we want available to ourselves. It's a good bet we'd get at least a few visitors, if Gensokyo really doesn't know a whole lot about where we're from. And who knows? This could add to your legacy."
> "Anyway, that wasn't the only thing I was thinking about. You know how I've mentioned the opportunities Byakuren has offered me? Well, I'd like to be sure I'm ready for tomorrow, just in case of worst-case scenario, which means I'll need to make a decision tonight. Assuming they haven't already closed up shop."
> "I'll... probably end up going through with it. I want to be prepared for the worst; I don't think Alice would just let us off the hook that easily. I can't help but be a bit curious of the experience as well."
> Return the favor.
> "Of course. You're the reason I'm doing this at all. How could I not?"
> "The thing is, these two enhancements won't stack. It's going to be one or the other. The first is fairly simple, it just brings out what we already have and amplifies it. The second one is the complicated one. Turning into a youkai, physical growth, all that jazz. Apparently the growth isn't controllable or reversible, so you'd end up stuck at whatever size the spell decides you should be. There's also an issue of a major karmic penalty for willingly changing from human to youkai, but I've heard conflicting reports on the magnitude of it. And odds are, however reluctant Byakuren would be to give the first one to you, she'd probably be even more reluctant to bestow the second."
> "All that being said...I'm still not sure which one I want to do. Each has benefits, each has drawbacks. The one thing I am sure of...is that I'd like both of us to do the same thing. We can both say everything we want about not caring regardless, and I trust it would all be true, but we have the easy opportunity to forgo that issue entirely by remaining equals, and I don't see why we shouldn't take it."
> "I think it would be useful, if only in the interest of self-defense. I'll admit I don't particularly want to go romping around the countryside beating people up either, but there's probably still a whole lot we don't know about here, so it would be nice to be able to hold our own as needed. I do understand your feelings on the matter, though."
> Do we have all the components for the second enhancement spell?
> Do we know if it will knock us out for some amount of time like the first one will?
> "Okay then. I'll do my best to convince Byakuren to prepare one for you as well. Do you mind if I tell her about tomorrow's planned events? I don't think she'll interfere, and it will be important to the process that you're doing it. If you still want to keep it on the down-low, though, I would understand perfectly."
> "I imagine she will. Given all she's been willing to do for me, she doesn't seem the type to betray such secrets."
> "Anyway...the one final thing about these two enhancements is that the first one will basically knock me out for a while. The later I take it, the later I'll be awake tomorrow morning, and you know I don't want to miss what's going to happen. I don't know if the second one has any similar effects, but...I hate to say this because I really don't want to go anywhere right now, but the sooner I leave, the better for both of us."
For what it's worth - to me, the correct answer to Byakuren's 'working off karma' concern is "Where do I start?"
> What are we looking at for time of day? Sun still setting, or is it full-blown night time?
- Byakuren warned us of the karmic penalty willingly changing from human to youkai would incur. We have conflicting reports on the severity of this, yes, but the person that has gone through it herself and would be administering it to us is the one telling us that we'll be eating it for a long time. (I think it is safe to assume that, if the change is gradual and inevitable, the karmic hit would be a lot less, or possibly not happen at all.)
Second reason is that Renko's clearly uncomfortable on some level with the potential change the second enhancement brings about, as much as she tries to hide it. Remember that when it was initially brought up, she came up with the idea of trying to reverse the growth process, or simply going through with it as well if it was necessary. Upon being told that the growth is both uncontrollable and irreversable, her response is that "we could adapt if [Mari ends] up a bit bigger". There's obviously a problem going on there, simply because there would be no need to adapt to anything if there wasn't something forcing it to begin with. The response I'd expect from a Renko that really has no problems with it is something along the lines of "So what?" which "we could adapt" is very much not.
Sum up all those parts, and what do we get? An inability to find a good in-character reason to take the second enhancement, and the cold reality that we would only be doing it as a powergrab. Why do we need this? We don't need it to love Renko, we don't need it to explore, we don't need it to teach, and we don't need it to beat Alice. Grabbing for power would go against pretty much everything our Maribel has done so far and provide benefits only in the areas she hasn't been concerned with. However much stock you put into Byakuren's karma warnings regarding this enhancement, there is no way in hell powergrabbing is going to help our karmic situation at all, and it is, in fact, quite likely to make it a lot worse.
- Byakuren may very well have become what she is due to the karmic hit. I'm pretty sure she talks about the karmic hit the way she does because she speaks from experience. We've talked to others and received conflicting reports on the hit, but how many of them went through the same process? We know Patchy didn't, because she admitted as much, and we haven't talked to anyone else that's made the jump about making the jump.
I think someone saying it would take adjusting to is an inevitable reaction, whether it bothered them or not. It's a visible change, and of course that takes adjusting to. Maribel would need to adjust herself (this is even assuming the size difference ends up being enough to matter. Byakuren did say it would be smaller than her own). For that matter, people need to take time to adjust to most changes. Things are neither positive or negative because they require adjustment. A new job requires adjustment.
I get the impression 'karma' is a nebulous thing. It's not something you can feel, or measure through most means (outside of maybe the Yama, etc.) Byakuren said that becoming a youkai through any means at all incurs such a hit. Patchouli seemed to think that was nonsense entirely. I think that probably has more to do with Byakuren's religious beliefs than a necessary objective truth about how the world works.
I honestly considered asking Komachi if she has any idea how that works. I mean, she's not the one who calls the shots, but she works for the one who does.
But if that were the case, why would she flat-out tell us we'd take a major hit? I can't imagine she would say such a thing lightly.
And even in Byakuren's view (which was the most dire of any npc's viewpoint), it can be repaired over time.
If she firmly believes it's the case, then again, I imagine that is due to personal experience, unless you think she's just making it up to scare us away. I'm not a fan of "we'll get over it eventually" as a solution to bad karma, either.
Whatever the case, I think we can make a more educated decision by talked to more people that have gone through it themselves. It's hard to make a decision when we only have the one reference point. Keine would be an ideal person to ask. Marisa and Sanae would probably be good too, given they haven't transformed yet for some reason. Possibly Mokou. And then there's Alice, who would put up a fight but could be a valuable source nonetheless.
Let's say they all say that there's no karmic penalty.
Let's say there are other, more objective consequences, like half the human village hating you, inexplicable desires for human flesh, psychological dullness, or turning into Yukari. What about you?
Also, for the record, Byakuren also mentioned a loss of trustworthiness as another drawback. This was pretty evident in Reisen Quest, when people took Reimu's side on the UFO dealie simply because they didn't trust Byakuren for whatever reason.
Patchouli mentioned that the 'hunger for human flesh' was largely an animal youkai trait, and not something that affected magicians. She said, at worst, we would find ourselves more driven in our pursuit of knowledge and magic. Ok, she might have said 'obsessive', but still.
And the human village clearly doesn't have much of a problem with them if youkai go to school there on a regular basis.
The people they distrusted were still the youkai instead of the human and the oni.
I hardly think the fact that the occasional person might not like us ought to matter much.
As for catches, I suspect Byakuren is being as fully honest as she knows, and she mentioned no behavioral catches at all. Even when we asked for a comprehensive list of provisos.
(And is turning into Yukari such a bad thing? :P)
This is a fair point. It's pretty much impossible to please everyone. But I think humans might get less prejudice than youkai - the oni were willing to leave us alone after getting staved off once, and the human village is obvious, but youkai mountain/the tengu/Moriya Shrine let in followers rather than favoring youkai. I don't think I've heard of any places that specifically claimed to be friendly to youkai. It IS a net advantage to give up, even if it's a small one.
Also, calling my dark-horse solution theory: the second enhancement opportunity is the test Byakuren is subjecting us to to make sure we're trustworthy enough for the first.
Well, someone has to take the initiative, I guess.
> "Okay, I'm taking off. I should be back sometime tonight. I'll let you know then what I've decided."
> Give Renko a parting hug.
> Leave the tent and head toward the human village in search of Keine.
> Gently ring the bell. Enough that it can be heard, but don't go nuts.
> "Yeah, I need to ask you something important. I'm having an internal conflict about an ability boost that Byakuren has offered me. The kicker is that I would become a youkai. Since you work with humans and youkai alike, I imagine you might have some insight as to what might happen."
I was leaving that one out of the discussion because it's far simpler. Alice is my only concern, as I think the SDM will back down from trying to go overkill. They don't have the personnel to pursue vicious vendettas, even if they wanted to. If we're not worried about Alice, either because we think she won't show up at all, or because we expect we could take her down as we are now, then no, we do not need to make a decision tonight.
Of course, if you're also of the mind that Maribel should get the second one, then I'm fucked regardless, so...
Before I do much of anything else, I suppose I should put the question forth: if we ask several people that either have had or may have a stake in human-to-youkai transformations, and they all either tell us horror stories or generally warn against it, will any of you actually change your minds?
> "Thanks."
> Go inside
> "To be honest, I'm not all sure myself. Part of it is a general interest in magic, since this is still my first day with it. Part of it is because of what I've learned of this land. I'd like to be able to defend myself and my lover should something happen to us."
>lock thread until 6 PM so obsessive-compulsives can get some sleep
>"Well... one thing led to another after I found her, and..."
>Sheepish grin.
>"And I'm pretty sure that I want to explore Gensokyo as much as I can. I know that Renko wants to. If it's going to be dangerous, then... I'm going to need to be able to handle myself. If only for her."
>... what do we know about what youkai really are, actually?
>"It's not about power, really. It's, well, I'd like to learn as much about magic as I can. Learn to do as much with magic as I can. This is the kind of thing I've been looking for for a lot of my life. A lot of people today have said that if I study this, turning into a youkai is very likely, no matter what I do. Especially given how readily I seem to be picking things up. Reimu pretty much told me this flat-out the first time we met."
>"I mean, becoming a youkai doesn't necessarily seem that bad, from what I've seen of them. And from what I've seen of youkai who used to be human. Do you have any thoughts on the whole process?"
>"This... may sound stupid, but what ARE youkai, actually?"
>"Who might this person be?"
>"And it's less about giving it up for power than... Well, I guess in many ways, it doesn't seem like it would be all that different, that's all. The youkai I've met seem just as human as the humans I've known. I've spoken with Patchouli already. She seemed to think it was even more inevitable than Reimu, and not even worth trying to avoid, to be frank. Alice... well, let's just say that I'm in no hurry to have a second encounter with her."
>"Oh? And who are they?"
>"And, uh, what became of this?"
>"And... you said she became a youkai in exchange for power?"
>"Immortal? That's... I think that counts as a heck of a lot further than I was ever thinking of going. I'm not sure it's even a valid parallel... You really think it is?"
>"Well, if you think it would be helpful... and that she wouldn't mind."
>Smile
>"Happy to help."
>"And, well... it's kind of on the topic of people becoming youkai. Keine said your situation isn't quite like that, but that you might be one to talk to."
>"Before I go any further... what's your opinion on the whole thing? I hear it's not all that uncommon with magicians."
>"Hi, I'm Maribel."
>"And... no, perhaps not. In a nutshell, I've been given an offer of a magical enhancement that would mostly likely cause me to become a youkai. It's just, well... from what I've seen, being a youkai isn't such a bad thing. Or even such a different thing. The youkai I've met all seem human enough. The youkai who once were humans especially so."
>"It... may bear mentioning that I'm new to Gensokyo. So you can't take it for granting that I know anything which should be obvious, here."
>"Well, um, kinda. ...to be honest, I'm also curious what it's like."
>"But if you're worried that I desire power for negative ends, I'd like to assure you that I don't. I have no desire to harm others in any way. If anything, I'd think being stronger would give one more leeway to help in situations you'd otherwise be unable to. Byakuren was satisfied of my nature."
And stop lying about it not being about power, or at least note that we HOPE it's not just about power ={
>"But... if a magician youkai is so much like a human in the first place, why would their mind need to change? I'm not sure I understand."
>"And Byakuren turned herself into a youkai. Yet she seems like one of the kindest and most level people I've met while I've been here."
> "What others? You mean like Patchouli?"
>"The... other two I know I've met weren't the friendliest, I admit. But how much of that would actually be caused by becoming a youkai?"
> "So...you're saying, if I do this, I could turn into a jerk just as easily as someone like Byakuren?"
>Not discussing the lifespan bit with Renko first would also be a big no-no.
>"I... take it you speak from experience?"
>A moment to contemplate the strangeness of that comment.
>"And what effect has that had on you? It doesn't sound like you're too bad off now, considering."
>"... to be fair, there's not much in Gensokyo that's particularly similar to the outer world I knew."
>"But... a decade staring at the ceiling? That sounds... unbelievably boring. Why?"
>"Why not?"
>"What snapped you out of it?"
>That apathy like textbook depression as much as anything...
>"Do natural youkai tend to have a better memory for such long periods?"
>"What about now? What's been most effective for coping with it?"
>... what is Keine, as far as we're aware?
>"Elixir...? Wait, maybe I should know this one. Legendary immortality elixir... Hourai Elixir?"
>"Did it really taste bad enough to remember that so long?"
>... what? If she can make inappropriate jokes, so can we.
>"How has Keine been helping you, or should I be able to guess?"
>"So, having someone you care about with you helps?"
>Obviously.
>"... is Keine a youkai? Does she have a much better memory for the past than you, even without explicitly studying it?"
>"Even that can...!? I... would it be too much to ask for an example from your own past?"
>Slight disbelief.
>"So, Keine wouldn't be considered a 'natural' youkai, then?"
>"What you're saying makes some sense, but I do want to know if it's actually happened - if it's let you down in the past."
>Slight guilt at how cold that statement was.
>"... and what about love among 'natural' youkai?"
>"... how difficult would it be to understand and adapt to that mindset on a personal level?"
>"And what would that mindset be like, for that matter?"
>"I think understanding what would be necessary will help in deciding whether to try. Do you know any more specific details about how youkai usually think and feel to handle that scope? Or is it just being more able to think and feel over long periods of time?"
>"... but I may need to consider this more than I have so far."
>"Do you know if it's possible for humans to become youkai in a fashion similar to how animals become youkai? More naturally, that is?"
>The wonders of predestination.
>"How well do the humans that become youkai 'naturally' usually handle it?"
>"And... what sort of things would be 'not worth getting attached to?'"
>"Mostly out of curiosity, what did people think of you, if your immortality was more a technicality and avoided the youkai association?"
>... what WOULDN'T have changed substantially in half a century? Basically... just locations. Actually, on that note...
>"What about the youkai in that mansion by the lake? I'm... not sure how much of the stuff there would last that long. Aside from the mansion itself, I guess...?"
>"That sounds like a terribly lonely existence."
>"Do... you think it might have worked if you segmented things out as a series of 'normal' lifespans? Or did you try that, and...?"
>Patchouli's books... but did the others have that sort of attachment? There was fancy stuff, yeah, but... hmm.
>"What do healthy youkai usually get attached to, then?"
Well, the love thing on its own pretty much seals the deal for me. If we take what Mokou says as truth (or at least very likely), choosing youkai status means actively choosing to eventually get tired of Renko.
Do you or anyone else think our Mari would make the choice to eventually get bored of Renko in the name of power?
Well, the love thing on its own pretty much seals the deal for me. If we take what Mokou says as truth (or at least very likely), choosing youkai status means actively choosing to eventually get tired of Renko.
Do you or anyone else think our Mari would make the choice to eventually get bored of Renko in the name of power?
>"Could I have some examples, at least? I can guess that Keine is interested in history, which is... abstract enough to fit, but I'm not sure what else would be realistic."
Fake edit: Of course we're assuming Renko goes along for the ride, but that doesn't belay the issue that we'd eventually get tired of her, and her tired of us. (Theroetically.) Retaining humanity means that won't happen. (Theroetically.)
>"... not romance."
>"Then... why is there a youkai love triangle in the Underground?"
> "How about relationships between human and youkai? Romantic ones, I mean. Does it happen?"
>Deep breath.
>"I... have to thank you for this. Getting so much of what I was thinking challenged is painful, but it's... refreshing to hear more about the downsides of becoming a youkai."
>"I think I'm still going to have to ask around a little, but you've given me a lot to think about. I... do have a small reason for being hasty about considering this, but... I may have to reconsider what the best solution is."
>"Here's to hoping it's not too late to visit a few other people tonight. Thank Keine for me, too."
>Barring any major response, head off.
> Peek into the tavern.
>Especially if it's on the way to either Marisa's or Byakuren's. Especially since Marisa might be there.
> Have we heard of a 'Suika' at some point today?
Reimu told us to tell Suika if we see her to not smack the fairy at the shrine, and she described her as a short oni.
> Is the short oni doing anything particularly important-seeming, or is she just drinking and chatting?
>It's a short enough message to be worth stopping in - Plum's got enough on her plate without an oni trying to swat her.
>Head on in and work our way over to the little oni. Give it a minute to see if there's a good opportunity to sneak into the conversation for just a moment.
>When so, "Excuse me, are you Suika?"
>Damnit.
>"I know I look a lot like her, but I'm not Yukari. My name's Maribel."
> "About that Yukari, though... Do you know where I could find her? I've been meaning to speak with her."
> "Ah, thank you."
> "Anyway, I've been asked to deliver a message to you from Reimu. There's a small fairy with her at the shrine now. She asks you to please not smack it as soon as you see it."
> "It's a bit of a special case. She's offered to help with the sewing a little."
> Pause, lower voice.
> "And the two of them together...it's actually kind of cute."
> Pause.
> "Please don't tell her I said that. Anyway, you'll see what I mean when you go back there, I imagine."
>Sounds like it might have been a bit more of an issue than Reimu let on... interesting.
> "Yeah. The little one's head over heels for her. Reimu doesn't seem like she'll reciprocate much, but she's taken the fairy in, however grudgingly."
> "I don't think she's much in the mood to be laughed at about this. She gave me a few glares herself."
Yeah, I think we're done with Suika.
> "Sounds like you're going to enjoy having her around."
> "I'm going to head off, then - there are some people I'd like to talk to before it gets too late."
> Where is Reisen's line of vision pointing? At us right now, at the door, somewhere in between, or somewhere we would have to go out of our way to be in?
welp,
> Move more into the rabbit woman's line of vision and watch to see if she notices us.
> But try not to bump into things, klutz.
> Her companion is still talking?
> Leave the bar.
> Better than continuing our habit of butting in on relationship moments!
> Where is Byakuren's temple, again? Here in the village, or somewhere on the outskirts?
> How far is it to Marisa's house?
> Let's head off towards Marisa's.
> Was Marisa's house along the same forest part as Kourindou? Presumably it would be deeper into the woods, but.
> Take a stab at guessing which light set it is, then. Get closer to the forest as necessary, to see if that makes vision any better. Maybe we can spot the path we know.
> Fly down and land in the front yard.
> See what activity within the house we can detect. Sights, noises, whatever.
> Knock lightly on the door.
> "Yeah. I need some life advice, and believe it or not, you're in the best position to help me."
> "Thanks."
> Go on in!
> "Renko? It involves her to a degree, yeah. Since we're, well...yeeeeah."
> "Anyway...there's no fancy way to build up to this, so I'll just say it. I've been offered the chance to turn into a youkai. Tonight, if I so desire."
> "That's the rub. I don't know. I've heard a lot of different opinions about the idea, and pretty much all of them are different. I know you're a human that has avoided turning into one naturally, despite practicing powerful magic. What is your take on human-to-youkai transformation?"
>"Well, I guess I kinda wanted to discuss it with some people who knew more about it than me. You know, get more than one or two opinions on the subject."
>"From what I understand, turning into a youkai natrually isn't all that rare for a practicing magician. Especially one that gets quite good at it. I mean, Patchouli considered it inevitable. Yet, I hear you're one of the best around here, and you're still human. Is that a conscious choice, or...?"
>"Why not? I mean, I've heard some people's takes on the good and bad sides of it, but I'm curious what yours is."
>"And Patchouli's not the only one who told me it was inevitable. Reimu told me the same thing earlier today, in regards to myself."
> "We also talked to Mokou, who seemed to have a lot of negative things to say about it...you think she could be biased as well, like you suggest Patchouli is?"
>"Do you know what affects whether a magician naturally becomes a youkai? Is it at all predictable, from what you've seen?"
>"Does it happen all at once? Or is it a gradual process?"
>"And so is it less that you have something against being a youkai than that you're quite content with what you have right now?"
>"When a human magician becomes a youkai, even through a natural process, are they usually more powerful as a result?"
>"Out of curiosity, do you know anyone that you'd known both before and after they became a youkai?"
>"Nah, I was just wondering if you might have had any personal experiences on the topic of how people dealt with becoming one."
>"Do you at least have a little textbook knowledge of the effects it might have on a person, mentally-wise? Or is that a pretty individualistic thing?"
>"Do you know who might be able to give me both parts of her story?"
>... wait, does that mean that Alice HASN'T gone through the age-related detachment Mokou was talking about? Then this is REALLY what she's like...?
>"You think some of that obsession might be less a side-effect of being a youkai, and more a consequence of the mindset that these people had in the first place? I mean, you already said that the more obsessed you are, the more likely a magician is to become a youkai in the first place."
>"And out of curiosity, how DO you get to Makai?"
>"And what's it like there?"
>"What kind of ideas? That they'd go there and get in trouble or something?"
>"And... I really don't think I'd be better off talking to Alice right now. Or, put another way, I don't think I'd be comfortable enough to try it. Or trust what she had to say."
>"I'm afraid I really can't reconcile 'sweetheart' with what happened earlier today, sorry. Maybe she's different with people she's actually friends with, I don't know."
>"And, well, I was curious what it would be like, although that's not reason in and of itself. Byakuren offered to enhance my magical potential, and this would be a side-effect of that. Magic is the sort of thing I've spent a lot of my life looking for, and I'd like be able to work it as much as I can."
>"Well, I understand that practice and training also helps. I wasn't planning this in lieu of that, certainly, and I'm sure I'll be putting a whole lot of time into this in the future. But Byakuren was pretty explicit about how this raises the upper level of what you would be capable of in a way that no amount of training and practice can replicate."
>Take themini-hakkeroobject carefully
>Conjure some danmaku familiars, using that object as a power source
>Take it carefully.
>"... so, drawing on magical items instead...?"
>Try some familiar shenanigans!
>"Wow, that's... a pretty big difference."
>"And do you use that all the time for the stuff you do? Or, at least the stuff that needs a lot of power behind it."
>"But, that does raise two issues. One: they're clearly pretty rare, or Patchouli, with all the resources in her library, would also have something suitable. And two: the fact that she could benefit as well suggests it stacks with other forms of augmentation, rather than replaces it."
>"Oh, of course, sorry."
>Hand it back
>"Hmm... any idea where I might be able to find something at least moderately helpful to me, at this point?"
>"And, out of curiosity, does that artifact have enough power that it would be worth Patchouli's while, were it hers?"
>"Make one? I'd appreciate that a lot. Is there anything I could do to help with that? Stuff you'd need, or something along those lines?"
>"Yeah, I still have it."
>Offer it to her
>"Shall I assume that what you're making would be in the form of this, then? Does the size of it matter?"
>"So, I guess a ring or something wouldn't work?"
>"Does the object need to actually be held physically in the hand to use it, or just worn?"
>"Oh, being able to use it just by wearing it is more convenient, if there's no difference in the magnitude of the effect. I don't really know how these things work, remember."
>"Well, if you think a ring wouldn't work as well, or be weaker, or have some other caveat, I'm not married to the idea."
>"If something larger would work better, maybe a bracelet?"
>"Actually, here's another semi-random question. What's your opinion on karma? And do you think becoming a youkai is bad for it?"
>"Well, the way Byakuren talked about it, it wasn't because youkai caused problems. And there was nothing inherently negative about being a youkai. The issue was becoming something that you were not born as. ...I wasn't sure how much of that might have been fact, and how much of it might have been belief."
>"What happens happens, I guess?"
>"Ok, well let's say that some day I decide to go ahead and do the youkai thing, anyway. And I'm not saying I will, or anything. But, well... I know it isn't really something you'd want for yourself, but what do you think of others doing it? Any warnings or cautions that you think would be worth keeping in mind for the process?"
>"Yeah, I think I know what you mean. And maybe this thing with Alice will just blow over, given enough time. Would be nice if it did, anyway."
>"And I don't know if I'd say I'm worried about power, as such. I mean, well, I'm certainly not power-hungry in the sense people usually mean it. But I'd like to learn how to do as much with this magic as I can, and when an opportunity to further that is presented, well..."
>"And er... about how late in the morning do you think you'll be finished with the ring, or bracelet, whichever it ends up being? There's something Renko has planned for midmorning or so that I really want to be with her for, but I'm pretty curious about how this turns out, too."
>Not to mention it'd be good to have it for the occasion.
>"How effective do you expect it'll be compared to the effects of that potion itself?"
>"Do you think Alice would... try and do anything to us while she's still holding that grudge?"
>"Out of her hair? So she wouldn't care if we were in the area, as long as we don't bother her?"
> "Well, Marisa, I thank you profusely for everything you have offered me. It means a lot to both of us."
> Punctuate this will a small bow. If one is not possible, a quick head incline will do.
> "I think it is about time I returned to Renko."
> "I must take my leave. See you tomorrow!"
> Exit house.
> Do we know where Renko's camp is relative to our position?
> We used some extra path last time, right? Do we remember anything about it, like where it might be?
> Get a bit away from Marisa's house and step back onto the main path
> Did we ever learn some sort of light spell from anyone?
> If not, take out the Bottle of Soft Light, but do not open it. how well does it illuminate our surrounding area?
>At which point did we give her that? (Because I'm rather certain it never actually happened, yet)
>Invoke a non-danmaku familiar, and see how much light it gives off
>Did we also give her the black cube while we weren't looking?
>Go search for the path we took with Renko
> But we can't see ninjers, so how would we know they were on watch?
>Continue onward to Renko's camp
> But we wouldn't see them fly off. In fact, we might already have been assassinated!
> Ah well, Renko can tell us if we're still alive.
>Search around for Renko. Go to the other fairy encampments if necessary.
>Around != Inside. Peek into the teepee first.
>How tired are we, anyway?
>Pet.
>There space in the futon for two to sleep comfortably?
But we've spent half today not doing anything because everyone else is wondering if anyone else has something they wanted to do, so no one's doing anything.
> Did we make a mental note of where the hidden path's entrance was relative to the main path? Let's do that now, in case we haven't.
> ...
> Lean down and give Renko a kiss on the forehead.
> Without too much what? THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW! MILLIONS OF LIVES HANG IN THE BALANCE!!!
> Soft smile.
> Take the box of silence out and put it somewhere in the teepee where it's unlikely to get knocked over. Maybe next to the Bottle of Soft Light, if that's not on Renko's person. Do not open the box, however.
> Exit the teepee and, unless we hear Renko's voice from within the teepee, make our way back to the hidden path, taking it back to the main path.
> Follow the main road out of the forest, and head back to the village, aiming for the tavern.
> In which direction do they appear to be moving?
> Do we still have that Starlight Incantation familiar going? If not, summon another one.
> If we're currently flying, let's land on the road.
> Let's start walking toward them.
> Can we hear if they're talking about anything?
> Slow down our pace a little bit, but keep going.
> Aim our gaze a little more at the rabbit woman than just generally both of them + where we're going. Put a thoughtful look on our face.
> And they are still talking?
> Perk up our expression.
> Quickly look at the white-haired woman, then at the rabbit youkai, then back at the white-haired woman.The doctor is now Hourai Elixir flasks!
> Raise a semi-closed hand partway, to indicate a combination of curiosity and desire to say something.
> "Ah, yes, that was me. Good evening to you. I hope I'm not interrupting anything right now, like I would have been there?"
> "Yes. I'm actually new to Gensokyo, and I'm looking for a Reisen, but all I know is that she's a rabbit. I was hoping you knew her. Or, if you are her, that would be even better."
> Inventory
> "Oh, excellent! Yes. Uh, I had heard from a woman named Ichirin that you have gained the respect of Gensokyo's fairies at some point. She wasn't sure how, though. I was hoping I could ask you how you did it. I know this sounds silly and trivial, but it is important to me."
> Try not to giggle at their rapport, as cute as it is.
> "Oh wow. That's, um...wow. That might be hard to duplicate."
> "So a string of silliness and nonsense got them to like you at first, huh? That sounds very plausible, based on my experience with them..."
> "Wait, the lake? You mean the lake by the mansion?"
>Stifle a laugh.
>Consider whether to tell them about Plum. Think better of it.
> "Really? I've seen them congregate there, but I always figured it was just because it was easy. Why is it that important?"
> "I guess that makes sense. In a fairyish way."
> "May I ask your honest opinion of them? The going Gensokyo opinion of fairies doesn't seem to be too high, but they've taken to my friend really well, and she's taken to them really well in return, so I'm kinda curious. Your reaction to the marriage proposals seems similar to others I've heard today...though I'm guessing that might have less to do with the fairies themselves."
> Smile.
> "Yeah, I know the feeling. Minus actually getting fairy proposals, of course."
> "Hmm...so, is a cloud of riled-up fairies just obnoxious, or are they actually a serious danger?"
> "Even if it's a really large number of them, all working together?"
> "Yeah, I suppose that's true."
> "...You know, it just occurred to me that you didn't really react when I mentioned I was new to Gensokyo. Is that something you're used to?"
> Shake head.
> "I actually had not. I only heard about Reisen from Ichirin. I'm from the outside world. I've been here in Gensokyo for less than a day."> "So you are from the outside world as well?"
>"Unless... I think I heard something about you visiting the moon, Reisen? Did you come from there originally, then?"
> "Really? That makes me feel a little better about my chances, then, since you seem to have adapted nicely. And to think, yesterday I didn't know magic actually existed..."
>"What's it like on the moon? I doubt the version I've heard outside Gensokyo is accurate anymore."
>"Pure?"
> "And yeah, so I've been told. Apparently I have a penchant for borders. Reimu taught me how to make them, though mine are still very basic and short-lived."
>"I have no idea. Is it... traditional, or something?"
>Evil and impurity by what standards, exactly...?
> "I don't really know if shrine maidening is for me, though I guess I'd do it if I needed something to pay the bills. I've been thinking about it, though, and teaching something at that kappa university sounds appealing."
> "Oh yeah, the kappa are going pretty crazy right now with making stuff. They've been inspired by the events that transpired in that mass dream. Pardon my frankness, but may I assume you two had it as well? It seems like everyone else has."
>Wonder if lovers really can share dreams here... wait, now's not the time.
>"It... wasn't entirely a dream, actually. For a while there was a Gensokyo in the outer world, but apparently Keine made it so that never really happened. Except the parts that did. And somehow bringing me and Renko in from the outside world, apparently..."
> "Well, long story short, that wasn't actually a dream. It was some super-powerful magic from the mountain goddesses to bring Gensokyo to the outside world and create new lives for everyone. Utsuho and Keine put a stop to it, though, so now things are back to normal. It's presumably how Renko and I got here, though; it seems Gensokyo overlapped with where we were, and when it was restored, we came with it."
> "Keine would probably willing to talk about it, to a degree. Kanako, though, seems to just want people to assume it was a dream, forget about it and move on, at least in her neck of the woods. She was pretty upset that things happened the way they did."
>Wonder if either of them is going to get annoyed by the spread of this story.
>"Yes, it would be too much to ask you to take my word for it. But I've been assured that there shouldn't be any further consequences of it... well, direct ones, at least. The memories of that have still led to one or two things."
> "Keine is probably your best bet, then. Everyone else who is aware of what happened seems to want to just move on."
>Keine too, actually, but she seems to understand the need to humor some curiosity...
>"I think I agree with avoiding antagonizing Kanako. The goddess' reasons for what they did seem benign, even if their methods were short-sighted."
>"That's fair. Thank you."
> "Well, I'm here now specifically because I was hoping you two were still at the bar. I wanted to talk to you then, but you looked busy and I was pressed for time. My commitment ended up...well, falling asleep, so I gave myself a little extra time to look for you. Lucky me that you were coming this way already."
> "As for the general 'why'? Let's just say it's been a very busy day, and that I've made a lot of new acquaintances."
> "It's had its ups and downs, but there are things that have happened today that I wouldn't trade for the world, so I'd say it was a rousing success. And really, the only problem I haven't really solved yet is apparently looking like Yukari."
> "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to keep you so late. If you like, I can at least accompany you part of your way home, yes."
> Follow along.
> "I've had a few come after me, yeah, but Renko really struck a chord with them somehow, and once they found out I was with her they seemed to tolerate me a little more too. She finds them fascinating. I've been hoping to gather as much information about them as I can, and Ichirin mentioned you in that context."
> "That's understandable. Just from what you both have said tonight about your house, it sounds like you have no problem keeping busy. Especially with what 'all the other rabbits' implies."
>"Um, what do you mean by 'medicinal demands'?"
>"If there's no disease there, what use would they have for them? Simple curiosity?"
>"Any idea why they've been wanting more lately?"
>"I wonder what it might be that they could 'be onto' that they'd have a need to use?"
>"I respect your desire for privacy, even if something about that feels vaguely unsettling. No offense intended."
>Take a look at her eyes
>Do they bother us?
>Do we see why they SHOULD bother us?
>"They seem a little unusual to me, but I can't figure out quite why."
>"Do they usually bother people? A tolerance to what, exactly?"
>"Oh, and I'm Maribel, by the way."
>"Nice to meet you."
>"Um, what was this about Mystia singing that you mentioned a moment ago?"
>"Oh?"
>Can we hear anyone singing from here?
>If not: "How can you tell she's singing? Or are those ears of yours more sensitive than human ones?"
>"I guess it doesn't affect you vision unless you're closer? Even if you can hear it?"
>"And, uh... I assume it recovers?"
>Nod
>"It was nice to meet you, as well. Have a pleasant evening!"
>Return to Renko
>This has been the longest day of our life, and it's time to sleep
>Go get cozy with Renko, and be glad to live in a world where we can
>Hope tomorrow ends well
>Touch her gently
>Whisper: "That makes two of us."
>Assuming no further coherent response, let ourselves drift to sleep.
>"Change of plans. For the time being, anyway. Besides, I'd rather spend the night with you if I have any choice in it."
>Smile
>"I can think of a few things. What one in particular did you have in mind?"
>Smooth her hair
>"Well, we can always look around for something like that. You get some rest, now. I'll still be here in the morning."
>Smile
>"Oh, that's ok."
>Lean over and give her a kiss
>How rested do we feel?
>"Are you getting up now, then?"
>If so: "I might just lie here for a little bit longer. Promise to wake me a while before things get underway here, though?"
And I don't think Mary had any reason to associate Reisen with guns, Kilga
> "I did a couple things. The main thing, well, I'm putting that off until after you win your battle today."
> "Did meet that Reisen woman. She and her partner were pleasant to talk to, but I'm not sure she'd be sympathetic to this cause. The fairies all love her, but I don't think she was aiming for that."
>"I talked to several people about the youkai thing, actually. I'm... not as sure about it, now, but I don't think I should distract you with the details this morning."
>Gah.
>"Well... the most important part I didn't take into account is the extended lifespan that comes from becoming a youkai."
>See what she extrapolates from that.
>"Well, if I became a youkai, and you couldn't, well...."
>"Well, that isn't up to me, I'm afraid. I... didn't end up speaking to Byakuren again last night. I think I had too much on my mind after talking to some other people. I... may have been rushing into this."
>"Thanks, Renko."
>Give her a hug
>"Maybe after all this is over, it'll be worth giving some more thought to."
>Squeeze back.
>"I know. Thank you, Renko."
>"But I don't think it would've been fair of me to make that decision for you last night... I want to be able to protect you if things go wrong today, but to rush into that... I realized it was too much. Later, though... well, we'll have to think about it."
>"Well, I've got to go pick up something from Marisa that she was whipping up for me last night. After that, I don't think I really have any plans except to watch your plan in motion and make sure that no one tries to spoil it."
>"After that, well... I suppose that depends on how everyone involved takes the whole thing."
> "Though I guess I'm still waiting to hear from Sanae, if Kanako has found Koishi again yet."
>"Don't worry, I'll be keeping an eye out for Alice, I can promise you. Hopefully she's content to leave well enough alone at this point."
>"How long do you think it'll take before you guys are ready to go?"
>How long will it take to get to Marisa's and back, assuming a short stopover there?
>"Actually, now that I think of it, Marisa asked me to bring some breakfast for her if I could. Think we could spare a little bit more for her?"
>"Ah, well, if you're going to be a couple more hours, maybe I'll just rest here for a bit in the meantime."
>We still feel we could use some more sleep, correct?
>"Ok. I mightn't get back to sleep, but if I do, make sure to wake me in enough time to get my errands done before the battle, ok?"
>Be lazy for a little bit
>Get up and have a look around
>Get up.
>Stretch.
>Assess current condition.
>Inventory
>Quests
>Rape nearest fairy
>Wait a second, would the Oil of Vibration help against anyone? Hmm...
>See if the Floating Stone still floats.
>Consider what to wear today.
>Go say hi to Renko
>See if we can rustle up some breakfast
Renko asking what would happen when it breaks would suggest otherwise. Coming up with a more... benign way to make use of it might not be a bad idea, but there's no one we could really get away with asking about it.
>Are any of the 'generals' eating at the meeting?
>Look for a place where cooking is happening and try to get some food
>Once food is acquired, go say hi to Renko
>Smile
>"Good morning to you! I don't suppose I could have some breakfast?"
>"No, no, not at all. Poor choice of words, sorry. All I meant was, can I have some breakfast, please?"
>Accept the food
>"Thank you."
>Does there seem to be any utensils or such around to eat it with?
>If not, inquire about such
>Otherwise collect them and return to Renko
> Do we happen to recognize any fairies from our game of tag?
> Start to eat.
> Observe the goings on at their meeting.
>"Good morning, Renko!"
>"Nice to meet you, everyone."
>"How are things coming along then, anyway?"
> Gesture to the Bottle of Soft Light and the Black Cube.
> "Have you explained those yet?"
> Did we tell Renko about the Vibration Oil?
>"What's the plan with the light, actually? I'm not sure how you'd make good use of that."
>"So, any idea how much longer before you set out?"
>Another reason to hope things go well.
>"Somehow I got the impression that Rinnosuke thought there were other ways to make use of it... there might be some magical way to make use of it that isn't too obvious."
>"... the... sun's technically a star, right? Would that count for that sort of magic Renko's supposed to be good with?"
>"How vulnerable is she to sunlight, anyway? Vampires are sort of... inconsistent in stories."
>"No it isn't," says star Sapphire, "Who told you that?"
> Damn fairy logic.
> "Have you ever seen a star up close? People say they look just like suns. If stars are pretty much like suns, shouldn't they both work against a vampire?"
> Damn fairy logic.
> "Have you ever seen a star up close? People say they look just like suns. If stars are pretty much like suns, shouldn't they both work against a vampire?"
>"... guess I'm still too used to outer-world nonsense."
>Magic really works differently, doesn't it?
> Damn fairy logic.
> "Have you ever seen a star up close? People say they look just like suns. If stars are pretty much like suns, shouldn't they both work against a vampire?"
>"... guess I'm still too used to outer-world nonsense."
>Magic really works differently, doesn't it?
>"Well, I think the stars are a lot... er, smaller, so they might not bother her as much. But I guess that's not the point."
>"Do you know if there's anyone that might have some other way to use the sunlight? I guess it'd be hard to ask without seeming suspicious now, but..."
>We shouldn't linger TOO long if we're going to get Marisa breakfast.
>"Oh, I'm sorry to heard that. I hope she's not feeling too bad?"
>"Sick?"
>"Ouch. Still, she might have an idea or two. If it's not out of the way, you could ask."
>"... unless she's not conscious?"
>"Not be able to do what? I'm not suggesting that you go bother her, or anything, but I have no idea what you were even thinking she could do."
>"Well, I certainly don't. I was just wondering why Star suggested asking this friend of hers, that's all."
> Shank Sunny to put her out of her misery.
> SHRINEMAIDEN SHANKPULCHRITUDE ON RENKO, DAI, CIRNO, STAR, AND ALL OF THE FAERIES !
> WATCH OUT FOR CIRNO, SHE HAZ NINJEST SKILLZ :O!
>In between lox!
> This is a fishy post!