> Are any coming at us from along the hall corner?
> Is there anything in front of us along the corner right now?
> Are the beams thin enough to tank with the bucket?
> Keep heading up along the corner, since we still have the space.
> What's the beam coverage around us like now? Include what's along the corner we've been crawling along.
> If she's coming toward us, does that mean she's not paying attention to Kasen anymore?
> How close is she?
> Are there any beams directly between the two of us?
> Since nothing is coming right at us from her at present, wait until whatever beams are blocking our passage further down the hall corner have hit the wall and dissipated, then continue down the corner.
> Has she made her way to the upper western corner of the hallway as well?
> What's the beam coverage like below us?
> Let's stay glued to the corner, then, regardless of where Sariel is right now.
> While moving, get a grip on the granite with one hand, but leave that hand down inside the bucket so it can't easily be seen what we're doing with it.
> Moving toward us?
> Is she moving the wand toward us?
> Fire some arrowheads at her torso with our non-granite hand.
>Are the beams below us still thick?
>duck back around the corner
>Are there any protruding things in the hallway such that we could tie the scarf to it?
> Are the new purple shots coming at us horizontally?
> Gotta go for it...
> Drop down about a yard, ducking into the bucket as we can. Hopefully the bucket can tank a beam or two.
> Would it be wide enough for us to fit in, should she use it again?
> Well, we already conquered one zigzaggy attack with the oni the other day. We should be able to take on another, if it comes to it.
> Are there any beams immediately coming toward us, from either Sariel's previous or current location?
>How far away is the water sculpture? and what does it look like?
> So there's not a whole lot of bullet chaos going on between Sariel and ourselves right now?
> How far away is she?
> Charge forward in her direction, then! Just not TOO fast until the cone of Kasen bullets has passed by, since we don't want to faceplant into them.
> Can we see the gap in the zigzag?
> Are both sides of the gap zagging at the same rate, at least?
> Fortune favors the bold! Slow down a tiny bit more and head into the gap, slaloming forward through the bullets as they come. Remember what we did against that oni spellcard, this isn't much different!
> How close to Sariel are we now?
> Grrr...best we can do is finish our slalom through the bullets. Keep heading forward as we have been.
> Is the beam spam still going strong, or has she given up on that?
> Let go of the granite.
> Grab and re-don the translator.
> Are they flying everywhere or at us in particular?
> At what angle did shots last come from Kasen?
> Hopefully she's paying enough attention to dodge.
> Expediently drop altitude.
>Circle strafe right, then headbucket.
>If lasers appear, do a barrel roll.
>No, except to reach the head.
>Maximum acceleration. Bucket bottom to reaper face.
>Assuming she dodges bucket, reach out with granite fist, tag face.
> Assuming we can see through the pain, how close to Sariel are we now?
> And we are presently to her right?
> Given the size of the shrapnel shots we've seen so far, could we tank a shot or two with the bucket if we tried?
> Is Sariel close to the ceiling, close to the ground, or roughly in the middle of the room?
> Swipe our uninjured-side arm horizontally to throw a wave of arrowheads at Sariel, then fall back a little bit since shrapnel bullets will be incoming.
> How are they coming at us?
> What about left and right?
> How large is the wok compared to, say, our head?
>Use wok to increase angle of protection.
>Is it even possible to dodge exploding shots?
> Dodge to the left. (Unless there's a wall there, in which case head right instead.)
>Assuming we have space, move closer to Sariel.
> Defining 'having space' as there being no bullets presently directly between ourselves and Sariel.
>Range to target?
>Assuming bottom of bucket is pointed at Sariel, perform barrel roll, and fire circle of shots to move straight ahead quickly. Follow at moderate speed.
> What sort of experience do we have with barrel rolling as a defensive maneuver?
>Does our bucket have a handle?
> Trace a a circle in the air with our non-injured-side arm, about a foot and a half in diameter, with our palm pointed out toward Sariel. Use this hand motion to unleash a circle of arrowheads in Sariel's direction. They shouldn't all go in the exact same direction, but a tiny bit outward away from the center of the circle, so the circle very slowly expands as it travels.
> So she wants to be like that, eh?
> Follow it up with a few speedier shots aimed straight toward Sariel through the center of the circle.
> Nothing in the circle hit her? Or did it not get to her yet?
> So what's coming at us now for shrapnel?
> Head straight toward Sariel, then, sweeping another horizontal line of arrowheads.
> These are beams like those spammed in her initial attack?
> How close are we now, and where is she relative to us?
> Is she above, below, or on our level?
> Throw a vertical line of arrowheads at Sariel, then back off a little bit so we have more room to deal with the oncoming beams.
> Head a little bit forward and to the right, getting away from our current spot and aiming for gap we noticed. Keep an eye on Sariel's activity, but don't fire anything at her yet.
> Sariel has long hair, yes?
> Grit our teeth and brace for likely incoming pain.
> Use both arms and hands to trace a large X in the air in front of us, with each hand starting above our head and ending at least level with our waist. Both hands should be firing off arrowheads and moving diagonally downward the entire time without changing direction (aside from what minute adjustments are needed to avoid them smacking into each other).
> Wait, so this wave is a giant wall of bullets that covers at least several yards in both directions?
> How far down does it stretch?
> Man, that's all sorts of unsporting. Isn't undodgeable danmaku taboo?
> Hastily retreat at roughly a 45-degree angle back away from the wall's movement but also in the lateral direction that is toward the gap. Hopefully we're fast enough that we can make it.
> So we never saw how our most recent attack turned out, huh?
> Zag on through the opening like we did before, without worrying about firing back for the time being.
> Eh, it is what it is.
> Slug on through to the end, though grab a hold of the granite again before we get out just in case Sariel tries to surprise us up close.
> Then take it easier getting through. Our goal is to get through unscathed, not get through as fast as possible.
> Let go of the granite.
> Next time Sariel is visible, fire a rapid one-after-the-other-straight-line series of arrowheads (as opposed to the wide-spread horizontal and verticcal lines from before) at her torso area.
> Do we know how to throw a shuriken properly?
> The zig-zag walls haven't been interrupted, have they?
>Does a wooden bucket take damage from danmaku?
> Seems a decent bet that these walls are going be more or less the same dodge sequence every wave. Let's take advantage of this!
> Make a mental note of where Sariel is the next time we see her, then start firing off a steady stream of arrowheads in her direction while strafe-dodging, keeping this stream up even when we can't see her. Don't be too concerned about precision line-drawing or pinpoint accuracy since we don't want dodging concentration to lapse, but we should always at least attempt to aim at our mental location of Sariel. Her wings are big and bulky enough that we should connect quite a bit. Our aim can be adjusted each time we see her, too.
> Where are we in the hallway relative to the ceiling, floor, and walls?
> Anything visible from Kasen lately?
> Float to the right and a little bit forward with some expediency. There should be more lateral movement than forward movement.
> Fire a horizontal line of arrowheads at Sariel by sweeping a hand from our right to our left. Hopefully that'll mess with her dodging of Kasen's shots, if nothing else.
> Once that's done, float upwards and take note of the familiar headed towards us changes its flight path accordingly.
> Is Sariel setting up another sort of attack?
> Can we see what the other familiar did?
> Start heading forward, firing another horizontal wave of bullets as we go by sweeping a half from left to right this time.
> Once we're done firing, take a peek behind us to see what those familiars are doing.
> Are familiars things that can be shot down?
> How far away are the familiars?
> Are either of them still moving?
> What does the kunai density look like?
> If it's all horizontal, how tall is the spread?
> Begin firing a steady stream of arrowheads at the familiar nearest us.
> While shooting, beat a hasty retreat toward the space above the familiar closest to us, adjusting our aim during the flight as needed to keep pumping at the familiar.
> Are the familiars still spitting out bullets?
> Is Sariel shooting anything of her own?
> How close is the upcoming bullet rain?
> What kind of vertical spread does it have?
> Since the familiars don't move, we can attack this one without looking at it.
> Keep firing off arrowheads at the nearby familiar with one hand. Use our other hand to repeatedly conjure demon fire and drop it onto the familiar.
> While this is going on, turn our visual attention to the incoming wall. We've noted less density along the wall; are there any other obvious patterns or openings?
> If they are 'falling', does that mean the ceiling is open?
> Is being on fire having an appreciable effect on the familiar?
> Make a beeline for the other side of the hallway and the area above the other familiar. Keep this movement as lateral as possible; only move back away from the bullet wall as needed to avoid getting shot. We may be behind the familiar a little bit by the time we reach the hallway wall, but that's okay. The most important thing is to get to the hallway wall.
> How high can we throw our demon fire upward?
> Do either of the paths through the bullets we spotted take us closer to the familiar?
> Let's try the second path, then. Hopefully we'll have a chance at some point along it where we can conjure up some more fire to throw at the familiar.
>Would it be worthwhile to use the wok as a shield?
> How close is the remaining familiar now?
> Keep proceeding through the bullets toward it, then.
> What's the current bullet layout looking like?
> Any obvious openings?
> Head through the second opening listed.
> Damnit, aren't we at that familiar YET?
> Where is it relative to us?
>Make like a flamethrower.
>Edit: a flame ... thrower.
>Are all magical creations this flammable?
> How free is the path between us and the area where the familiar sat?
> How feasible are those dodges?
> Head into that space, making said necessary dodges.
> Can we still make out any of Sariel's details? We seem to be quite a bit far away from her now.
> Well, now that we know how to deal with these fuckers, let her make 'em. Hunker down and prepare to play some defense. Kasen's better than us for offense anyway.
> How much longer does the hallway extend behind us?
> Do the waves look like the first ones we had to deal with?
> Are we on the opposite hall wall from Kasen?
> Begin heading forward along the wall, then.
> How close are we to the familiars?
> Can we throw fire that far?
> How open is the way forward along the wall?
> Has Kasen been hugging the wall?
> Are the familiars firing bullets behind themselves?
> Advance a little bit more along the wall at the same pace we were moving before. It seemed to be working well enough for us.
> We are still about halfway between the floor and ceiling, yes?
> How do the bullet patterns above and below us differ from the ones on our level?
> How large a spread did the exploding bullet have when it went after Kasen?
> If we moved up or down a considerable distance, would we have to rastically alter out dodging pattern?
> How dense was the bullet's explosion?
> And how tall is the room again?
> How clear is the air immediately above us?
> Will it be gone by the time the shots headed right for us arrive?
> Let's fly up to the ceiling once the air above is clear, then. Hopefully we'll be far enough away from the large bullet that the bucket will shield whatever happens to come our way, if anything.
> Wait, so we're on the western wall again?
> Are the shots coming in from our left also coming at us from the front?
> And those dark blue shots are coming from straight ahead right now?
> So we can move straight forward without getting hit?
> If they're coming from below, what about us moving forward and upward at the same time?
> Then let's not worry about what's coming at us from pseuo-below and concentrate on moving further upward.
> Once the wave right above us gives us the opportunity to do so safely, keep heading upward, and move forward at the same time. Concentrate on not running into things above us.
> What's Sariel up to now?
> How large are the familiars' bullets?
> How close are the bullets to us?
> How close are we to the near familiar?
> How close are we to the ceiling?
> How densely populated is the air in front of us?
> Is either color bullet noticeably faster than the other?
> How's the ground below look?
> Keep heading forward as long as we have the space.
> How shortly is 'shortly'? A few seconds? Less than one second?
> Is the dark blue wall horizontal or vertical?
> How does the air look immediately below us?
> Summon some demon fire and chuck it at the near familiar. then drop down a bit into the area that said wave of dark blue is about to vacate.
> How does the bullet density look now?
> What dangers are immediate?
> How are the dark blue shots approaching?
> Hoow does the air immediately in front of us look like? Include what's slightly above and what's slightly below.
> Head straight forward for a little bit, ideally at a speed not slower than the walls approaching us.
> Were the exploding shots also red?
> Nothing for it. Drop altitude and hope for the best!
> Anything ddangerous visible in front or to the left or right of or below us?
> How close are we to the wall?
> Fire some arrowheads in return, aimed roughly at the wand, then dodge to the right.
> Drop altitude again.
> If there's nothing in the air immediately ahead of us, head forward with some amount of speed.
> How close are we to Sariel now?
> Are we above, below, or on the same level as her?
> How many light blue waves are between her and us?
> Summon some more demon fire and chuck it at Sariel while still moving forward.
> We never saw if our first arrowheads hit, did we?
> How wide vertically are the upcoming blue shots?
> Do they form a line or a wall?
> In which direction do they appear to tend to travel?
> So they are traveling from our left to our right at roughly our level?
> Slow our forward movement a bit, but also start descending. Ultimately the magnitude of our velocity shouldn't change, only our direction. Adjust angle of descent as necessary to avoid getting a mouthful of bullets.
> How long before the next line gets in our way?
> If we swung our momentum back upward, would we avoid it?
> What about the blue line in front of us?
> Turn back up as we continue forward, then, so we'll clear it when it comes. Pick up the pace a tiny bit, too.
> How close are we to Sariel now?
> That's fine. In fact, with the way we're being tailed by arrowheads, that's probably good. Our goal is to get on the other side of Sariel.
> Keep heading forward down the hall, maybe picking up speed a tiny bit more.
> Take a glance at Sariel.
> Drop altitude posthaste!
> Wahh, forward, forward!
> Bank left to get out of their way.
> Are Sariel or Kasen immediately visible? If so, what are they up to?
> Does she have the wand pointed at us?
> Oho, she wants to play, huh?
> Start ruushing toward Sariel, getting a grip on our rebar in the meantime.
> So she's just hurtling headlong toward us with no apparent attack pose, like having an arm out or something?
> Is there any danger visible behind her?
> Pull out the rebar and hold it in a 'ready' position to our side.
> Swing our momentum in a more upward direction, say about 45 degrees. We should still be traveling forward, just not at the same horizontal speed. Whatever horizontal speed is lost should be compensated for by vertical speed.
> Is she banking to the right or the left?
> Bank in the same direction whilestopping our upward momentum and pulling back slightly on our forward momentum.
> Keep the rebar at the read, but do not swing it unless she swings her wand toward us, and only then swing it at her wand instead of her.
> Do we have one hand on the rebar or two?
> Which one?
> Left-hand toss some demon fire at her head.
> Is her wand hand toward us or away from us?
> While she's off-balance, charge in and whack at the wand with our rebar.
> Pull back, in whatever direction her torso is pointing. That should be the hardest place for her to swing her wings.
> As we retreat, make visual note of what exactly happened to the wand.
> Up, up!
> Wand must have hit the ground...she must be going after it!
> Have we seen Kasen or the second familiar recently?
> Summon some demon fire in our left hand while we look down for the wand.
> Once we spot it, throw some demon fire at it, then look around for the second familiar.
> Switch hands with the rebar so it's in our left, then use our right hand to chuck some more demon fire at the familiar.
> Look back down at the ground and relocate Sariel and Kasen.
> Let's let Kasen take a crack at her.
> Fly over to the other side of Sariel, so she's horizontally surrounded.
>What do her wings look like?
>Specifically, do they look flammable
> Did we at least get past Sariel before she resumed flight?
> Did Sariel seem at all hurt by the fire when picking up the wand?
> Where is Sariel's attention focused now?
> Let's keep flying and move a little further past Sariel, then. Maybe three more yards. Then reassess what Sariel and Kasen are doing.
> Does Sariel have her back to us, then?
> Take a glance behind us for danmaku.
> How far away is it?
> How fast is it?
> Is it a wall, or does it have less form than that?
> Looks like this is our shot, then.
> Turn back around and full steam ahead, aiming bucket for Sariel's head.
>"Ow. Gotta remember to go easy with the bucketsmacks for now." Definitely a personal note for later.
>Let's cast around if we can to find Kasen. "You holding up there?"
> Look behind us for snowmaku.
> Friggin'...they couldn't have had better timing than this?
> Drop down next to Sariel - not ON her - and look for the wand. Put the rebar away, too, if we haven't already.
> Stash the wand, too.
> "Looks like we're about to make a lot of friends."
> "After what we learned from Sariel? It's better than the alternative."
> Give a two-handed overhead attention wave in the direction of the soldiers.
> "Yeah, we get it. Don't worry."
> Keep the hands up, though we can stop waving.
>"She tried to persuade us to help her, and when we refused she attacked us."
Other than the Higan question, have Kasen and Sombraluz spoken to each other?
> "Yeah. Don't know if she actually meant to stab you in the back, or if she was just trying to use my hatred of Higan in her favor and then stab me in the back later. But if she was truthful, then it seems she may not have the confidence in Kosa's army that Kosa does."
> "She wanted me to let the war go on so Higan and Kosa would destroy each other. Higan would be ruined and your world's humans would learn a lesson about overstepping their bounds."
> "Yeah, I figured it would come to that. But there is at least one way to verify part of her motivations. There are still the Higan records from when she got reassigned."
> "The Pale Warden?"
> "Oh. Well, uh, actually, she was your land's shinigami before she got reassigned."
> "And the hermit you tried to run away from. But you would've learned about her from the Higan paperwork even without my claim. You'll also learn that she got reassigned for going rogue and judging souls herself instead of taking them through proper procedure."
> "I'm sure we'll have the opportunity to learn more. Do you need us to move?"
> "'Kay."
> Float along with the crowd.
> "In my defense, that judgment of my actions came from someone that thought the best way to stop a suicidal girl from killing herself was to shoot her."
> "The alleged betrayal or trying to kill myself? Or both maybe, I guess."
> "Okay. For the first thing, there was some metallic sound, and then I couldn't see or hear. I became aware of a battle between the rebels and Empire forces, but I had no idea who started it. I stayed out of it until I saw your agent take aggressive action against my friend here in a situation where I thought he could have put a stop to the fight with his firearm, at which point I made my choice."
> Look to Kasen.
> "He's asking about why we were fighting earlier."
> Look back to the Emperor.
> "If you mean Sariel, she found us and wanted us to help her by letting the war go on so Higan and Kosa would destroy each other. I told her no deal and that I needed to keep going to see you, and she attacked."
> "She talked some about her general afterlife philosophy. She thinks Higan's judges are unnecessary and that the shinigami should do everything. She got reassigned to Makai from here because she actually did send some souls to the afterlife she deemed appropriate instead of sending them through the proper channels."
> Put on a bit of a thoughtful face.
> "Come to think of it, she sounds kinda like a good match for you, given what you've said about the old Parliament."
> "Anyway, I'm almost positive there are more to her motives than just thinking Higan's judges are are superfluous. I don't think we'll find out unless we actually check with Higan, though."
> "I have no idea how to get there from here, but I know how to get to Gensokyo's river border for Higan. And Gensokyo's shinigami is my mom, so I should be able to pull something. Especially if we tell them Sariel is involved."
>Does the translator drown out our voice?
> "You mean without my presence at all? Less likely, but namedropping Sariel could still be enough if he makes the situation seem dire enough to warrant it."
> Shrug.
> "No clue. This sort of thing has never come up before. They may want to make sure she's stopped for good, or they may defer to you, since it's your land she wronged."
> "You can always decide when we get there."
> "Oh, right, I guess I wouldn't actually be going to Higan proper for this."
> Were Yumemi and company going to secure the Model Seven, or just leave the palace?
> "I think they left the palace. We separated a few minutes before Sariel found us."
> Did they actually say where they were going?
> "It was Yumemi Okazaki and her assistant, along with a machine woman they made. No clue where they went, though. They didn't tell me. Which was probably intentional."
> Nod.
> "Do what you gotta do."
>"Sombraluz should have that information, right? To cross the Sanzu River you ride in a shinigami's boat. Assuming she lets you, but I think in this case that won't be a big problem."
> That's a good qquestion. What are they?
>Are we familiar enough with protocol to guess at this? I can't imagine a similar situation having previously occurred.
> Do we know if/how Komachi can contact Eiki if they're on opposite sides of the river?
>This is a lot of political thinking we've had to do, and it would be nice to outsource some of it. Who do we know that would be good for solving the Kosan political issue?
>"Kasen, are you good with politics?"
>"Your magesty, I really don't know how to answer that question. I wasn't the best at bureaucrasizing even when I lived there, and I don't know of any past situations remotely similar to this."
> Rub chin thoughtfully.
> "Mmm...I know that my parents can communicate long distance somehow. If you're intent on your agent going, I might suggest having the shinigami contact the Yama that way, and have her deliver any paperwork you're looking for. Living humans are not exactly a common sight in Higan, for a number of reasons. I'll leave it up to you and him to decide on that, though."
> "I think there's enough going in your favor that you should be able to get it. Higan will definitely want to know about Sariel causing problems of this magnitude. I might also be able to send something along to prove to them that your agent is connected to me."
> Do we have a signature?
> Have we ever forged anything?
> "That shouldn't be a problem."
> "I think securing her hands behind her back will work for the time being. If she really wants to shoot danmaku you'd have to kill her to stop her, but she's been disarmed, and with her hands behind her back on top of that she most likely couldn't do any meaningful damage before her corpse hit the ground."
> Nod.
> Take the translator off and look at Kasen with the translator held out.
> "He wants to talk to you."
> "Wear it like I did and speak, and it should do the rest."
> Nod.
> "Sariel was enough of an issue for them. The more she's made out to be an issue for Kosa, the likelier they'll be to help. If nothing else, they'll want to wipe the egg off their face from letting this happen under their theoretical watch."
> "Okay."
> Take the translator once Kasen has removed it and put it back on, then look to Canus.
> "What can I do for you?"
> ...Would a bureaucracy theoretically dedicated to justice actually do that? Presumably they wouldn't talk about it all the time, but would they deny it completely?
> Shake head.
> "Unlikely. It probably won't be an every-day topic of conversation, but it's a sufficiently embarrassing and humbling moment for a bureaucracy dedicated to justice that they'll want to keep it in mind for a long time to best make sure it doesn't happen again."
> "I would agree with 'unlikely', yeah. It depends on how the delegation presents itself, of course, but I'm sure someone in your position understands that very well."
> "You mean for group size, behavior, or things to expect? Or maybe some combination of all three?"
> Are we aware if Komachi asks living people that go to the Sanzu River about suicide?
> Are we aware of any sort of ability of Eiki's to sense sin or guilt or similar such?
> "Okay, well. Group size is easy. Your agent could probably go there by himself and get this done, but I figure you'll be happier sending him with a few soldiers just to be sure. You'll want to bring Sariel, so they'd be good for keeping her in line. Just don't bring a huge number, you don't want to look like an invading force. Uh, assuming you don't want to look like an invading force."
> "When you get to the river, you'll want to find Komachi the ferry worker. I'm sure you've got notes on her, since you have notes on everyone."
> Grab our hair to imitate our pigtails.
> "Red hair, styled like this. Very large scythe, very tall, very..."
> Mime a pair of large breasts.
> "...yeah. If she doesn't see Sariel, she'll probably ask if you're there to kill yourselves. Fill her in on the situation and ask her to contact the Yama for you. She's got short green hair, super important-looking outfit. You'll know her when you see her. Gotta warn you, though. She can sense sin. She might end up talking your ear off about behave like this and morality that. You can tune her out if she does. Regardless, there's no way she'll put up with Sariel's antics once she learns about them. Where you go from there depends on what exactly you're looking from the encounter."
> "Think that's about it. Just don't try to put anything over the Yama. It won't work."
> Nod.
> "Sounds fair to me."
> Look to Kasen.
> "They're gonna need a little bit of time to plan this out, so we'll be sticking around for just a bit longer."
> "You'll get food and cleaned up if you want either."
> "I imagine we'll find out once we get there. But we'll be fine."
> Turn back to Canus.
> "Looks like we're ready if you are."
> "I wouldn't object to some food, but I think I'll be okay otherwise."
> Turn to Kasen.
> "What about you? That exploding bullet looked like it did a number on you."
> Are there still guards in the room?
> How do those chairs look for comfort as compared to the bucket?
> Take the translator off and store it in the bucket.
> Plop ourselves and the bucket down on a chair, reclining against its back.
> "Hey, so. ...Thanks for everything."
>Do we expect to grow larger as we get older, andif so on what time scale?
> "I guess it worked out all right. Maybe not perfectly, but at least both sides of this conflict seem satisfied with today's events, and Gensokyo's crisis looks to be averted. For as much as I still don't understand why it's not as attractive a target as it was before."
> "Well, yeah, but that only saves Higan. Gensokyo, at least, is still sitting there on its own."
> "We can only hope, I guess. Though I wonder if he'll try to find his land's border to Higan now."
> "Almost definitely, I'm sure. I probably could have saved us all some grief if I had bothered correcting him on the whole capital thing when he first brought it up. Beyond that, though, I wouldn't know where to begin second-guessing myself."
> "Okay. What else do you think we could do?"
> "That seems a bit cruel, though, doesn't it?"
>"The thought had crossed my mind, but that was before I figured out that Sariel's the real string-puller in this whole mess."
> "Yeah. Somehow doesn't surprise me. I get the feeling she was never more than a tool to him."
> "Just like I told him. Suits are all the same."
> Frown thoughtfully.
> "Mmm...maybe an unfortunate accident might befall that machine in Gensokyo."
> "Anyway, what do you want to do when we get back? Sounds like we're not going to Higan, but I wonder if he cares beyond that. I suppose it could be worth finding out what was up with all those spirits."
> "Yeah. They might still be related to that blue loop-haired woman and her zombie buddies, though."
> "She can have what's left of that traitor once I bash her face in with this granite."
> "I have to blame someone for this mess, and she's from Gensokyo and doesn't have a lethal firearm."
> Is our alcohol from that tiny room still with us?
> "Anyway, I may just lazy out instead and go back underground and not care about topside for another couple hundred years. I'm still mulling it over."
> "Eh, underground is where it's at anyway. Nice and cozy. Open sky just isn't for me."
> "You're welcome to come by and visit, of course. I've seen enough to know that I'd have to be braindead to try to mug you."
> "Maybe it could be your business to teach the Ancient City civility. It'd be nice to set foot there without twenty oni wanting to punch you around for sport."
>Chuckle a bit. "With how Gensokyo operates some days, I wouldn't be surprised if you pulled that off."
> Shrug.
> "Oh well, it was work asking anyway."
> "I should hope they don't just leave us here after everything that's happened."
> "I was thinking of heading back underground and getting the hell raven's assistance. Yamame's in tight with her, so I think I could."
> "And then there's an unfortunate accident, possibly nuclear in origin."
> "I have faith in your ability to get the red-white to do that."
>Shrug. "Well, we'll just jump that hurdle when we come to it I suppose."
>"There was some sort of fairy conspiracy involving kemonomimi, although I expect it to have blown over by the time we get back."
>"Fairies, they're weird. There was this group running around in hoods with cat ears or something on them. I think they're crazier than a sober Oni."
> "Anyway, you think we could get her to wreck that machine?"
> "No, Yukari."
> "That would save me a trip underground, then."
>"Kasen, you're a hermit. Does that mean you can speak with animals?"
>"I don't really have any ideas, sorry. Just making conversation."
> "Anyway, I imagine that anyone we find that can destroy that machine can also probably knock those guys out. Then we can disarm them and leave them to fend for themselves."
> "The one thing I worry about is making sure the Emperor goes with them."
>"In fact, I think it's likely that he won't put himself in the ship when we're either on it or in Gensokyo."
> "That might be hard to do after all I've said about Higan."
> Frown in thought.
> "...Maybe the lure of the land of the dead itself could pick at his ego enough to get him to go."
>Does Gensokyo/Japan have legends of people visiting the land of the dead, and does Kisume know them?
> "That could work too, yeah. Between that and the idea of being the first humans of this world to work directly with those from the land of the dead, he'd have a hard time passing it up."
> "Mmm. I guess they're not exactly going to let us just walk away, are they?"
> "I wonder if we could at least get an escort if we wanted to go somewhere."
> "Of course. Though we'll need an excuse to go somewhere."
> "Do you suppose there's a chance Yukari would know as soon as we arrived?"
> "Could we use that somehow, maybe?"
> "Hopefully that's doable given we haven't mentioned her up until now."
> Hopefully we can get Sombraluz knows about her and can back us up."
> "Uh, just to be sure we're on the same page in this story, why does Yukari possibly already know or need to know about this in an official capacity?"
> "Yeah, but why does she need to know, and why would she already know? I don't know much of anything about her, only that I think Nue told me to avoid her if I could."
> "Oh. Yeah, okay, I can see why she'd want to know."
> "If we do get to meet her with an escort, should we be subtle about the situation and hope she takes them out for us?"
> "Okay, so we should do that instead of blowing the cover and hoping she has faster reflexes than they do."
> "Right. Would mentioning that she tends the border be too much, you think?"
> "Maybe someone a little nervously curious about recent weirdnesses in the barrier?"
> "Okay, that should be workable. Any other loose ends we need to tie up?"
> "Yeah, that makes sense."
> "Hey, VIVIT. Uh, you are VIVIT, yeah?"
> "Well, the VIVIT that isn't VIVIT would also remember both of us, is why I'm asking."
> Point at it.
> "So is that stuff gonna knock me out again? That'd be a real shame, because it smells great."
> "Good to know."
> "I actually agree, but I need to clean it to do that. Got a washbin or something?"
> Did Chiyuri say we needed water to clean the stuff out of our hair?
> Are there any obvious sources of water in here?
> "Oh, well, okay. Do you happen to have water to go in it?"
> "All right then. Thanks."
> "I think that was the VIVIT that drugged us."
> "Apparently there's a whole lot of them. Something in the hundreds. I guess it's the benefit of being a machine person."
>"Way I see it, they're like ants. All identical, all pretty cold. Never liked ants really, reminds me too much of Higan."
>" Yeah. She's a person, but she's also a machine. If you listened closely back when we were in Gensokyo, you could hear her body making machine noises."
>"And now you see why I made the comparison to Ants. From what I've found out, they got some kinda communal mind-thingy going on too. If one of 'em finds out something the others don't know, they go back to something and connect to it. And when the others go back to connect too, they get the info as well."
>Shrug. "Something like that. S'why I'm using Ants as a reference, all hive-ish and such. They all look alike too."
>"Just think of 'em as being like Bees or Ants. Makes it a lot easier."
> Take a crack at our plate. The hair can wait.
>But be sure to make sure it didn't get slipped anything. Can't be too careful.
>Let's have just a little of it, then wait for a few moments. If we don't feel off, then we know it's good.
>Well, it's clear then. Let's dig in! Maybe we'll ask what these fluffy things are called. They ain't half bad.
>Drink's pretty strong though. What's it smell like?
> Have a sip of it.
> "Huh. What do you make of this tea?"
> "Might explain why I like it so much."
> Have another couple of sips.
> Are there any mirrors visible in the room?
> Set the weird tea aside for a bit, and move the pitcher of water and washbin closer to us.
> "Might as well get this over with."
> Pull out Chiyuri's hair wash stuff and wash our hair with it to get the black stuff out of it.
> "From what I can tell, they don't use magic. We could ask Yumemi about it next time we see them, though."
> "That'd be pretty funny if true, since a major reason we're a big huge deal is because we use magic."
> "Maybe? I dunno, Yumemi seemed genuinely excited by the prospect of magic."
> "To be honest, given how they've reacted to magic so far, it wouldn't surprise me if this place believed in science."
> Shrug.
> "Whatever. Let 'em do what they want, even if it's that. Not like it'll matter to us by this time tomorrow."
>"Not many people that can change a whole world that much, that's for sure."
>Finish the rest of the strange tea, and any food that may be left.
> "Hope he doesn't mind wet hair. What kind of tea is this, anyway? It's pretty good."
> Get back up out of the chair and follow along via floating. No need to bounce and further aggravate our side.
> Plunk down in the chair closest to him that's not his chair.
> Nod our head a little bit deeper and slower than normal.
> "Thank you very much."
> "Of course. I'll do what I can. But if you're still here, I guess means you're not going?"
> "Well, your agent voiced some apprehension toward believing Sariel is who she says she is, and he mentioned she matched the description of a person in an Kosan urban legend, or something like that. It was about a person related to death. Is that legend an actual thing around here?"
> "Yeah, that was the name he used. Anyway, I figured someone in your position would jump at the chance to meet some of her former co-workers, if not visit the land of the dead itself. Even though you'd be getting there from Gensokyo, it's still a Kosan's final destination, as it were. This isn't to diminish the accomplishment of interdimensional travel, but death's pretty widely regarded as a one-way street, isn't it? I just thought you'd want to seize that opportunity to display what other unimaginable acts Kosa can accomplish."
> "Yeah, you see why i figured you'd go. I can understand wanting to stay here for safety concerns, but I'd also say tales of a trip to the land of the dead would probably have a larger impact on your land coming directly from you than from a relatively faceless soldier."
> Shrug.
> "Anyway, that's pretty much what I was thinking."
> "Hmm. I don't think so..."
> Turn to Kasen.
> "It sounds like they're assembling a team to head to Gensokyo. Did you have any thoughts before that's finalized?"
> "Well, originally I thought he was going to Gensokyo with us, but from the way it sounds like they constructed their team, it seemed he was going to stay here. He asked me why I thought he was going, and all that stuff you heard me say was why."
> "A problem with the team they chose? I don't think so. We'll be meeting them soon enough."
> "Oh. No, I don't think there was a problem with the conversation either."
> There are soldiers in the room, yes?
> "I'd assume they've already worked out plans for getting to the river and coming back home afterward."
> Take a glance toward Canus after we finish saying this.
> Look back to Kasen.
> "Yeah, they have it under control."
> Frown.
> "If I absolutely have to, I guess I can. He did say that if they need us for something, they'd ask, and I don't have any general problem with that. I'm not sure they'll want us as guides, though, since I think they don't want us getting very close to Higan."
> Turn back to Canus.
> "Sounds like she's all set. I do have an idea for a message your team could relay to Higan to hopefully prove their connection to me if they need it, but I figure I can tell them when we meet up."
> "Well, not long before I found your device in the forest, I gave a message to a very identifiable oarfish woman that she was supposed to deliver to Higan for me. I'm sure you've got notes on her. Indigo hair, really tall, very elegant clothes. If your team wants to be associated with me, they can tell the ferry worker that I had that woman send them a message. That should be good enough; I really doubt anyone else was aware of my dealings with her."
> "Figured. The message I had her deliver was pretty passive-aggressive, if that'll help this team at all."
> Give a small grin.
> "Not for any of you."
> Shake head.
> "Don't worry, she won't bother any of you with family matters. Especially not if you have Sariel tales to tell."
> "That's pretty much all I can think of right now."
> "You got it."
> Follow!
> Shrug and take on an equally quiet tone.
> "He's considering."
> "I think we're going to the machine that got us here."
> Shrug.
> "We'll find out when get there, I suppose. I wouldn't be surprised if the Kosan team wants to check for last-minute info just in case, though."
> Can we tell where the hangar is on the map?
> "Them's some spiffy threads."
>Is it a map of Gensokyo?
> "Happy for both."
> Take a proper look at the map. Hopefully we can get some idea of what's where.
> Can we tell where Higan would be, based on the location of other known things?
> "Whereabouts are you popping in?"
> Take a look at what's between the blue dot and the area north of the human village where Higan is supposed to be.
> Frown and wave Kasen over to the map.
> Point at the blue dot.
> "That's where we'll show up."
> Gesture in the direction of where Higan is supposed to be.
> "They want to know the best way to get to Higan from there. You're almost sure to have been in the area more recently than me. Would that just be heading to the village and then going north?"
> "Can they just go around it?"
>Can we think of any notable landmarks or residences missing from the map near the path we would take?
> Look back up at the General.
> "Okay. What I think you'll want to do is head toward the human village here."
> Tap the map where the village is (or just point if we can't reach for some reason).
> "You'll most likely want to go around the village rather than through it, though."
> Point up toward where Higan should be.
> "Head north from the village and you'll eventually hit a river with a lot of spirits around it. My memory's fuzzy on the details for that part of the trip, though."
> Turn back to Kasen.
> "Should they be okay just curving northward as they approach the village?"
> Is the mansion south of the village?
> What are to the immediate east and west of the village?
> "I suppose that's true."
> Look up at Sombraluz.
> "I guess it all depends on how anxious you are to see your blue loop-haired buddy and her idiot servants again."
> "Oh good! Then you won't mind when I stab her in the neck for being a traitorous nuisance. Anyway, you'll probably just want to circle around the village this way."
> Trace up and around the east side of the outside of the village, the side with the road that connects to the Shrine.
> "The road might have people on it, but it's not like people are an abnormal or suspicious thing, so there shouldn't be too much in the way of concerns. The red-white's shrine is further down the road, so you might run into her, but if you have Sariel with you and you let the red-white know that you're giving Higan back its garbage she probably won't care much."
>What do we think about the way the Red-White lays down the law?
> Look to Kasen.
> "The red-white's not going to care much about them if they have business in Higan and just go around the village, right?"
> Frown.
> "Is it possible she'll mistake those spirits for souls and blame Higan?"
> "Then it probably won't be a problem, will it?"
> Look back up at the General.
> "It's possible she'll care, but not likely. And she may not even see you, if she's back at her shrine."
> "Someone tries to piss her off and succeeds and a fight breaks out."
> "Only if some incident is going on. There was one when we first came here, but it's been long enough that it's probably been resolved by now, so she should be back to normal."
> Look to Kasen.
> "If they take the eastern way around the village and go through the Forest of Magic, will they run into anyone important?"
> Look back to the General.
> "If you head through the part of the forest east of the human village, there might be a food stand, but otherwise the only predictable concern would be fairies."
> "They're dumb and irritating and can appear just about anywhere. They're no more than an inconvenience in a fight, though, and it's entirely random how they'll react to you. Some might be scared, some might try to fight you, some might think you look really cool, some might not give a damn who you are and just spew a whole bunch of moronic nonsense."
> Gesture toward Sombraluz.
> "He's probably got some experience with them. I'm not kidding when I say that they're stupid and everywhere."
> "They're not worth factoring into any itinerary plans you may make. There's going to be a nontrivial chance you'll run into some no matter what you do, and if they actually get aggressive it won't be hard for you to knock them out, and no one with even half a brain in their head will care much if you do."
>Nod and trace a path from the blue dot to Higan with our finger, curving eastward around the human village.
> "Yeah, this here is what we're thinking. Best combination of expedience and avoiding possible issues with locals."
> "Alternatively, going through the village practically guarantees your team will get as much attention from the locals as they could ever want. Going around to the west will probably run you into an acquaintance of your Agent and a bunch of her minions. Fairies and a small possibility of the hero your Agent mentioned are definitely the best of the three choices."
> Do we know anything about any strange artifacts in the forest very near the Sanzu River?
> "Among other things, I was gonna ask if you were going to bring extra soldiers given the change of plans, but after hearing about your supplies situation I guess you've all already thought that through more than I would."
> Do we remember anything about them, other than they might be there?
> "All right. Assuming you're still interested in seeing Higan's paperwork on Sariel, it should be okay to have the Yama retrieve it, but ask the ferrywoman to read it for you."
> Nod.
> "Also, my memory may be a bit fuzzy on this, but I'm reasonably positive the part of the forest closest to the river has a bunch of artifacts in it. I think they were left there by those souls that were really attached to them for whatever reason. If you have any interest in them for any reason, it might be worth asking the ferrywoman about them, just to be cautious before disturbing them."
> "It's also possible I'm misremembering. It has been ages since I had to think about it."
> Look to Kasen.
> "Is there anything final you can think of? You know the topsiders better than I do."
> Look to Sombraluz.
> "Either of those names mean anything to you?"
> Look back to Kasen.
> "Maybe you'd better describe those things to him in more detail, then."
> "Hey, you got hundreds of machine people that are all the same person, we got dangerous flower fields. Fair's fair."
> Look back to Kasen.
> "Anyway. Is there anything or anyone else?"
> "Which is impossible to account for no matter what."
> Turn back to Canus.
> "Anything else you or your team wants to know?"
> "I don't see why not. I can't think of any pressing personal emergencies that would require my immediate attention once I get back home."
> Turn to Kasen.
> "What about you? You think you could stick around and help deal with anything unexpected that might come up while we're on this mission?"
> Come on, Kasen, pick up on at least one of these prompts!
> Raise an eyebrow.
> "What might have happened?"
> Nod.
> "Anything else outside of at-home stuff that you think needs to be addressed? Maybe like letting the red-white know you're no longer indisposed, or something like that."
>Have we heard her lie at all?
> "All right, then."
> Turn back to Canus.
> "Yeah, we can pitch in."
> Look over to Sombraluz.
> "Okay."
> Head on in!
>"Sombraluz? How long does the trip take?"
> Might as well watch and wait for instruction. Take a glance at Kasen in the meantime.
> Follow him out.
> Point up.
> "Anyone mind if crest the canopy and check out what's around?"
> Take on a quieter tone of our own.
> "Yeah, I know the feeling."
> Reverse volume and take on a tone slightly louder than normal so we can speak to the group.
> "Going up, guys."
> Crest the canopy at a fairly leisurely pace.
> No one in the immediate vicinity aside from our party?
> Drop back down at approximately the same pace as we went up.
> Where did Kasen wind up?
> What are they speaking about?
> Float a little bit closer to them, but don't interrupt.
> "Nothing out of the ordinary. Some fairies way in the distance, but no one else."
>"And don't worry, they're about as harmless as your average kid, just as dim too. They can pack a sting with the usual danmaku, but that stuff never kills anyhow. So the folks here won't have to worry if they get rowdy. So long as you don't draw their attention, they won't bug you. Just tell 'em you're playing hide-n-seek, and they'll probably wander off after gettin' the idea to do it themselves. Probably already knew that bit though."
> Point to the northwest.
> "There is a mansion off in that direction, but I think they're far enough away that they won't disturb this area."
>"Well, so long as you don't go near it, I'd say you're set on that angle then."
>What do we know about that mansion anyhow?
> Float on back over to Kasen, unless someone stops us.
> "How you holdin' up?"
> Is there anyone presently looking in our direction or within soft-voice earshot?
> "Well, just remember that we'll be done soon enough."
> Look around at the forest.
> "Still, even given the circumstances, it's good to be home."
>Chuckle a bit, while keepin' quiet as we have been. "Comically serious, ain't they?"
> "I suppose."
> Wait for something interesting to happen with the Kosan forces.
>"Crazy rope that. And I know rope, seen enough of it over the years."
> Let them by if we're in the doorway.
> Are they carrying Sariel on anything?
> "You sure you guys don't want to carry her on something so she doesn't weigh you down as much?"
> What's a gurney?
> Blink.
> "A what?"
> "Oh. Yeah, I guess that would be a bit bumpy."
> "Are we going with you or staying here?"
>Do so.
>"Kasen, we're following them."
>Follow them.
>Look to the right a bit. If we don't notice anything, assume Kasen will explain, and wait for her to do so.
> Try to be discreet as we look, too.
> Is there just the one?
> Is it fresh?
> Are we and Kasen in the rear of the group, or are there Kosans behind us? Other than the group guarding the Model Seven.
> Take on an equally quiet voice.
> "Yep."
> "Yep."
> "Maybe. Might just be a fairy."
>Does it look like it might be the size of a fairy's foot?
> "How recently, do you think?"
> Does anyone else appear to have noticed the footprint?
> Give a terse nod, then point at the footprint and take on a normal tone.
> "Heads up, folks."
> Give a small jab toward the footprint with our pointing finger for a little extra emphasis.
> "Someone's been here."
> "Don't know. Unless they added something to the water here while I was gone, that footprint's too big to be a fairy's. But doesn't exactly narrow it down a lot."
> Follow along!
> Let out an annoyed groan.
> "Hold up, let me see. I think I know what this is."
> Look up a bit and a bit to the west into the treetops. If we can't see anyone, keep heading forward until we do.
> What were the things Nazrin asked us to recover, and how many did we come very close to acquiring? One of Eientei's rabbits had one...did the doll person have another?
> "We're late for something very important, so just one question. Who took the large candle from the forest shop?"
> Nod.
> "Got it."
> Look to Canus.
> "We're good. Let's keep moving."
>Recall what the Fairy Shrine is.
>"Fairies, they're like kids. That one got some fluff stuck to her face, and started thinking she was a sage. Impressionable folks them, wanted to find out about a little something I was taking care of before I got wrapped up in all this."
> Keep going.
> Do we, aside from Kasen and the fairy?
> Stop.
> "Hold up, everyone, and take a listen."
> Listen for voices that are not part of our company.
> "Sounds like Kasen is hearing voices."
> Look to Kasen.
> "But I don't hear anyone. Who do you hear? What are they saying?"
> "Weird. I definitely haven't heard anyone other than us."
> Look around at the group.
> "Did anyone else hear anything?'
> Frown.
> "Then we should probably just keep moving. If anyone else hears voices, though, speak up."
> If the rest of the group keeps going, then keep on going with them.
> What the
> No, don't react. Just keep heading forward like everything is normal. Give our right ear a casual, gentle scratch along the way.
> Do we know the voice?
> Is this voice speaking our language, or is it being translated?
> Close our eyes. For good measure, tilt our the tiniest bit downward.
> Keep on heading forward and listening.
> Stop moving.
> Open our eyes and take in what's going on.
> Have we seen her before?
> "What the..."
> Look around for the Kosan team and Sariel with a look of mind confusion.
> Look back to the woman.
> "How much do you already know?'
> Take off the translator and frown.
> "Of course it looked that way. I'm not so amazing that I could just tell those guys I was going to stab them in the back and survive long enough to actually do it."
> Shrug.
> "But I'm guessing that's not really what you want to hear right now, is it? The gist of it is that the one guy in the fancy-pants cape is the ruler of a massive outside world empire. They've been scouting Gensokyo for a while with the intention of conquering it, but it sounds like those plans got put on hold once he found out that the blue winged woman had been feeding him lies about Higan for years in an effort to trick him into getting revenge on Higan for her through military conquest. We were actually on our way to dump her off at the Sanzu."
>"Sariel, a shinigami."
>"She was angry with Higan, and wanted this empire to invade Gensokyo as revenge. We managed to convince the emperor that she was untrustworthy, so he was bringing her here in order to get more reliable information. "
> "She was the unconscious one being dragged along by a couple of those soldiers."
> "The emperor wanted to make an historical name for his country by punching a hole in reality and beating up the strange magical creatures on the other side. What you saw before you did whatever you did is just a drop in the bucket of his forces. Of course, since his country is a dictatorship and he's a narcissictic megalomaniac that hasn't appointed a successor yet, all we have to do is cut off the snake's head and the body will die."
> "They used some weird machine created by a professor of theirs. Pretty egocentric herself, but she's fighting the good fight in this case, so no worries. She's actually been here before herself a few times. In fact, do you remember that weirdo dream from a few years ago? She was in Gensokyo when it hit and she got affected too. Sounds like that dream did something screwy with time, because she was gone from her home for several months because of it, and when she got back that emperor guy had taken over and suddenly she was persona non grata."
> Blink.
> "You knew who Sariel was without us naming her, maybe you've heard of her to. Yumemi Okazaki? You know that name? I think she's met the red-white before."
> "Uh, I don't know a whole lot about what she does, other than her seeming mighty impressed by this."
> Conjure some demon fire in one hand.
> "Aside from making that machine originally and then having it taken from her? She was the major and pretty much only rebel party against the empire. Her and her assistant, and a machine woman of theirs."
> Look slightly taken aback.
> "Oh, um, well...really? Well...thanks. Uh, what happened to the others, anyway?"
> "Oh. Um, not to question you, but is that a good idea? They do have some deadly firearms."
>"All right, my name is Kisume, and this is Kasen. "
> Nod.
> "Yeah, figured. So what do we do now?"
> "Well...I do kinda want to dump Sariel off with Higan."
> Nod.
> "And, well...whatever happens to the rest of those folks, if you could keep the maid around, that'd be good. If that's okay."
>"Also, I was thinking it would be nice if the Emperor, Canus, was not sent back to Kosa. "
> "I, uh...I don't know. I was never really sure this moment would come, and I didn't really want to spent time dwelling on how to...kill someone."
> "Umm...honestly? ...Only if he has to to make sure Kosa is freed from him for good."
> Look down.
> "...I don't know."
> Look back up.
> "...Maybe. I wonder if Yuugi would like him."
> "That works, then. How should we let her know?"
> Nod.
> "Thanks."
> "Oh. Well, it's less that I want her stranded and more that I just don't want whatever ill befalls the rest of them to happen to her too. She doesn't deserve it as much."
> Nod.
> "Thanks again."
> "Hmm..."
> Turn to Kasen.
> "You know, as long as we're handing them out, do you want one? I bet Sombraluz would make a good guard dog."
> Giggle a little bit.
> "Aww, c'mon. I think you two would make a cute couple."
> Pantomime a few seconds of melee fighting - punching, blocking, bobbing, weaving, etc. while speaking the next line.
> "You've even already had your first dance together."
> Giggle again, then turn back to Yukari.
> "In all seriousness, though, she's right. Their Agent guy is something else. He'd need to be locked up somewhere, or something."
Oh, right.
> Shank our knife. SHANKCEPTION