Maidens of the Kaleidoscope
~Beyond the Border~ => Rumia's Party Games => Mystia's Stored Games => Topic started by: Hello Purvis on January 28, 2010, 03:19:35 AM
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>You are Reisen Udongein Inaba, Gensokyo's premier gunbunny!
>You an immigrant to Gensokyo from the moon. The events surrounding that have left you with a powerful hatred of Neil Armstrong, which you do not like to get into. You have been living at Eientei after running away from home. You work for Eirin Yagokoro, which has led to many rumors being spread about the abuses she heaps on you. Only a few of them are true! She has given you a variety of strange jobs over the years; you've done your best to handle them and think you did pretty well outside the moon incident. Kaguya Houraisan considers you her pet and you still don't know what she means by that; aside from the fact she uses it as an excuse to pat you on the head sometimes. You are deeply concerned about the rights and treatment of rabbits, particularly those in Eientei, and have managed to argue for them to have better treatment on a few occasions. You have crazy eyes and it freaks some people right out; thankfully you have gotten some tinted glasses to deal with this. You are a goddamn snappy dresser.
>You recovered your stockings from being hung out like flags! The Hakurei Shrine and Byakuren's Followers are at each other's throats over UFOs supposedly spying on the Hakurei Shrine. Hina lost her arm, but you've found it and have sent her to Alice in order to get it put back in place. A mysterious unnamed rabbit got Letty and Hina drunk last night! Patchouli asked you to secure Kanako and Suwako's blessings for her; Kanako has asked you to deal whatever is messing with the wind in the eastern reaches of the Forest of Magic in exchange for hers. Patchouli also asked you to check up on the Prismriver Sisters, who should be down in the Palace of the Earth Spirits. Marisa has asked you to hook up Alice with a suitable friend, or perhaps significant other. You have befriended the Yakumo family! You've vowed to prove to the world you aren't just good for your sex appeal, however ample it may be.
>You are currently visiting Mokou, to return her lost hair ribbon. You have not died yet! In fact, it's almost been pleasant.
>"We did, actually, not too long after that. Keine helped with that, too. It turned out one of her Students had it."
>"I had some spare time, So I thought I'd return the bow to you."
>"Heh, kids," says Mokou, sipping her tea. "So what's got you running around today, ways? I saw you've been through the bamboo a couple times already."
>_
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>"Oh, this and that. I've been helping people out here and there."
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>"Oh, this and that. I've been helping people out here and there."
>"Well, that's good of ya," says Mokou. "Hey, can I get that ribbon back, so I can toss it into today's laundry? And what sorta good?"
>_
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> Return ribbon to Mokou
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> "The usual. Helping hangovers, finding arms, playing matchmaker, running a blessing courier service, trying to stop Reimu from throttling the Palanquin crew. You know, this and that. Even solved a nonsense problem for a cloud of fairies. S'where I got this."
> Point at fairy ribbon.
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> Return ribbon to Mokou
>You give Mokou her ribbon. "Oh nice, it's not even that dirty," she says, as she sets it aside.
> "The usual. Helping hangovers, finding arms, playing matchmaker, running a blessing courier service, trying to stop Reimu from throttling the Palanquin crew. You know, this and that. Even solved a nonsense problem for a cloud of fairies. S'where I got this."
> Point at fairy ribbon.
>"Well fuck," says Mokou, "You've been busy. Especially with that Reimu thing. That's gonna boil into real trouble soon, you mark my words."
>She looks at the faerie ribbon. "Seems like they like you. Nice. Faeries don't tend to give gifts to just any schmuck. Always helps to be in good with 'em."
>_
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> "It probably is, which is why I'm trying to figure out what's going on. Maybe you can help, since you seem to be in tune with the sitch."
> "So Reimu got mad because Tenshi found a UFO near her place, right?. Thinks Byak's tryin'a spy on her or something. I'm trying to get as much info as I can, but it's been hard to come by. Do you know anything about those UFOs?"
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>"Yes, I've learned quickly that almost everything involving Reimu turns into Trouble, if it already isn't."
>"Being friends to fairies is a lot better than having to shoot them down by the hundreds every time you have to go somewhere. In fact, I think I know how to deal with my next task, now."
Nevermind, I'm okay with this turn of conversation.
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> "It probably is, which is why I'm trying to figure out what's going on. Maybe you can help, since you seem to be in tune with the sitch."
> "So Reimu got mad because Tenshi found a UFO near her place, right?. Thinks Byak's tryin'a spy on her or something. I'm trying to get as much info as I can, but it's been hard to come by. Do you know anything about those UFOs?"
>"Hey, don't make fun of the way I talk, or I'll hand you your teeth in a bag," says Mokou, sounding a tad hurt. "Anyways, I don't know a thing about UFOs, but I think Rinnosuke might. He had a blue one for sale for a couple weeks, right after winter came."
>_
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>"Where do these UFOs come from anyway?"
>"Oh, also you said you noticed me coming through the Bamboo forest a lot today, right? Did you happen to see a Rabbit leave Eientei Last night? Straight, black hair and in a Pink Dress?"
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> "Sorry, didn't mean to make fun. I figured this was a When In Rome situation."
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>"Where do these UFOs come from anyway?"
>"Oh, also you said you noticed me coming through the Bamboo forest a lot today, right? Did you happen to see a Rabbit leave Eientei Last night? Straight, black hair and in a Pink Dress?"
>You ask Mokou about UFOs. She shrugs. "Beats me."
>"You mean Tewi, or that other one?" Mokou asks, as she leans her chair back on its rear legs. "I saw 'em both."
> "Sorry, didn't mean to make fun. I figured this was a When In Rome situation."
>She nods and waves it away.
>_
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> "That other one, not Tewi."
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> "It sounds like, for once, Tewi is not responsible for the shenanigans I've been cleaning up."
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>Maybe we overreached to the Situation. Is it really that rare for an Eientei Rabbit to head out for a little fun? She did pay after all.
>Either way, Ask Mokou about everything she caught them doing.
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> "That other one, not Tewi."
>"Okay," says Mokou. "That other rabbit, she came back real late last night. And I guess she was drinking or something, because she was having a hell of a time finding her way. I almost thought I'd have to escort her myself, to be honest. But she found her way back after a couple bad turns. I suppose she was trying to sneak her way in without getting caught."
> "It sounds like, for once, Tewi is not responsible for the shenanigans I've been cleaning up."
>"Really? Just when you start to think you can't get surprised anymore..."
>Maybe we overreached to the Situation. Is it really that rare for an Eientei Rabbit to head out for a little fun? She did pay after all.
>Either way, Ask Mokou about everything she caught them doing.
>Really, it's more an issue that she snuck out. No one was authorized to leave yesterday. And you're kinda curious about what she was up to. Especially since Eirin forbids being drunk.
>"Well, I told you about all I saw with that other rabbit. As for Tewi, well, she's got eyes better than a whole flock of hawks. I can never sneak up on her, and she never does anything suspicious while she knows I'm around. I'm pretty sure she's got a secret way into Eientei, though.
>_
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> "Iiiiiiiinteresting. No one was supposed to be out and about yesterday, and no one is ever supposed to get wasted. I'll have to look into that as a private matter in addition to any connections to the UFO."
> "On an unrelated note, one of the Moriya Shrine goddesses mentioned something in the eastern part of the Forest of Magic interfering with the wind. I haven't been there yet to investigate myself. Do you have any idea what that might be?"
> "Also, since you're the resident long-legged-clothing expert, maybe you can give me a little inspiration. I'm trying to develop ideas for what might constitute a 'base six pair of pants', in the hopes that I can make them some day. What comes to mind when you hear that phrase?"
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> "Iiiiiiiinteresting. No one was supposed to be out and about yesterday, and no one is ever supposed to get wasted. I'll have to look into that as a private matter in addition to any connections to the UFO."
> "On an unrelated note, one of the Moriya Shrine goddesses mentioned something in the eastern part of the Forest of Magic interfering with the wind. I haven't been there yet to investigate myself. Do you have any idea what that might be?"
> "Also, since you're the resident long-legged-clothing expert, maybe you can give me a little inspiration. I'm trying to develop ideas for what might constitute a 'base six pair of pants', in the hopes that I can make them some day. What comes to mind when you hear that phrase?"
>Mokou chuckles as you elaborate on the unknown rabbit's many violations.
>"Haven't been there much since winter started," says Mokou with a shrug. "Maybe Mystia or one of the forest youkai are up to something?"
>"Faeries," says Mokou, her expression as flat as her voice.
>_
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>"Faeries," says Mokou, her expression as flat as her voice.
>Laugh nervously and discreetly cover up faerie ribbon.
>Finish tea if we haven't already.
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>Laugh nervously and discreetly cover up faerie ribbon.
>Finish tea if we haven't already.
>"I ain't mad or nothing," says Mokou, "I'm just saying it sounds just like the silly stupid crap faeries like to babble about. Gives me a headache."
>You finish you tea; it is very strong and very sugary.
>_
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>"I actually enjoy that kind of off-course use of terminology. It gives me a nice chance to exercise my mind in a unique way."
>"Anyway, I should be heading back to check on the Forest now. Thank you for telling me about Tewi and the other rabbit."
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>"I actually enjoy that kind of off-course use of terminology. It gives me a nice chance to exercise my mind in a unique way."
>"Anyway, I should be heading back to check on the Forest now. Thank you for telling me about Tewi and the other rabbit."
>"Until you're not in the mood for it," says Mokou. "Then it's just a headache and wondering if it's worth restraining the danmaku barrages in order to be a nice person, you know?"
>"Hey, no problem," says Mokou. "Thanks for the ribbon and stuff. It's those little things like that that drive you up the wall, you know."
>_
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>"Oh, I know it alright." Try not to sigh
>Leave Mokou's place
>Go back to most eastern part of Magic Forest again.
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>"Oh, I know it alright." Try not to sigh
>Leave Mokou's place
>Go back to most eastern part of Magic Forest again.
>You make your way from Mokou's home, and return to the Forest of Magic.
>There are two areas that are particularly eastern. One is Mystia's stand, which is more east but also on the north edge, and the crossroads, which are less further east but more central.
>_
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>Crossroads first.
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>Crossroads first.
>You return to the intersection. The eastward road you have followed dead ends into one going north and south. To the south, you can catch a glimpse of the lake, and to north you can see the beginning of that S-shaped bend where you found Letty. There are a few faeries overhead. Obvious exits are North, South, and West.
>_
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>Hail down the Faeries.
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>Hail down the Faeries.
>You hail the faeries down. They descend, and look at you curiously. One of them waves.
>_
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>Wave back cheerfully
>"I've heard that some weird things have been happening to the wind in this area. Do any of you know what's going on?"
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>Wave back cheerfully
>"I've heard that some weird things have been happening to the wind in this area. Do any of you know what's going on?"
>"Nothing weird happens here," says one of the faeries.
>"She's talking about the wind, though," says another faerie.
>"Oh, we don't mess with the wind," says the first. "How could the wind be weird, though? It's wind, it does what wind does!"
>"Well, maybe it's got a smell?" suggests a third faerie.
>"That's a point," says the second. "But I think that's fine, too."
>"Maybe she means the web?" the first puts forth.
>"Hey, maybe!" says the seocnd faerie. She looks at you. "Are you talking about the web?"
>_
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>"The weird thing about the winds is that it's "Being interfered with". I'm not sure of the specifics."
>"Well, I don't know about the web, but if it has anything to do with the wind, I'd like to look into it. What can you tell me?"
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>"The weird thing about the winds is that it's "Being interfered with". I'm not sure of the specifics."
>"Well, I don't know about the web, but if it has anything to do with the wind, I'd like to look into it. What can you tell me?"
>"Oh." says the faeries.
>"I bet it's the web!"
>"Gotta be the web."
>"Yup."
>"It's such a pain."
>"But it's so pretty!"
>"Still a pain."
>It seems they've forgotten about you for the moment.
>_
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> "Can you take me to the web?"
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> "Can you take me to the web?"
>"Nuh-uh!"
>"No way!"
>"Uh-uh!"
>"Forget about it!"
>The second faerie adds, "The monkey spider is a real jerk. We don't have anything to do with him."
>_
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>"Oh, I'm real good with dealing with jerks. There is a wolf around here that used to be a Jerk until it met me."
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>"Oh, I'm real good with dealing with jerks. There is a wolf around here that used to be a Jerk until it met me."
>"Oh, okay," says the third faerie.
>"Still not going," says the second, crossing her arms.
>"It's thataway," says the third, pointing eastward and toward the bush.
>"Don't let it get on your face," says the first faerie. "Monkey spiders are really bitey!"
>_
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>"Thank you. I'll go take a look now."
>Prepare for battle
>Take off sunglasses
>Doublecheck cards
>Head eastward
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>"Thank you. I'll go take a look now."
>Prepare for battle
>Take off sunglasses
>Doublecheck cards
>Head eastward
>You remove your Pair of Tinted Lenses. A couple of the faeries shy away from you. The world seems intolerably bright, but your eyes quickly adjust.
>Your spellcards are:
>Wave Sign: Mind Shaker
>Visionary Wave: Mind Blowing
>Lunatic Sign: Visionary Tuning
>Lunatic Gaze: Illusion Seeker
>Loafing Sign: Idling Wave
>Indolence: Mind Stopper
>Spread Sign: Invisible Full Moon
>Lunar Eyes: Tele-Mesmerism
>You examine the eastward part of the road, picking through the dense foilage, and soon discover a narrow path that lets you continue on.
>You fight your way through the forest, nearly tripping a few times and getting tangled more than once. Thankfully, your clothing is enough to protect you from any scratches, though lacking gloves means that you have to be especially careful with your hands.
>Zigging and zagging your way through, leaving the road a ways behind, you come to a clearing. Ahead of you, you can see strands of gossamer woven between the trees, forming a kind of web. However, it is not a two-dimensional weaving like a normal web, but rather somethign that looks almost like a crude frame a labyrinth. While there are no walls, a great amount of debris and snow are caught in it and make it a bit difficult to move freely through it. The snow, in particular, makes it sparkle in the sun. You estimate the web is about twenty feet across, and weaves a dozen or so trees together, as well as several rocks on the ground. Obvious exits are East, West, and North
>_
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> How opaque is the gossamer?
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> How opaque is the gossamer?
>Fairly. But at a glance you can't tell if individual strands are opaque, or if its just due to having so much as once. Regardless, you really can't see into the web very well.
>_
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>I think it's heavy enough to be able to block the winds, and certainly large enough to hamper anything that tries to come through here. I think there's enough evidence to whip out the Unprecedented Serious Affairs.
>Proceed further in, trying not to get any in our hair.
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>I think it's heavy enough to be able to block the winds, and certainly large enough to hamper anything that tries to come through here. I think there's enough evidence to whip out the Unprecedented Serious Affairs.
>Proceed further in, trying not to get any in our hair.
>You approach the web.
>Drawing closer, you can see the that the silk, for lack of a better term, is somewhat translucent. But the debris and the sheer amount of the stuff serves to make it difficult to everywhere inside. Taking a closer look, it's not really web-like at all, most of the silk is joined randomly to other things rather than to each other. It looks rather like a loose pile of chopsticks. Some of the strands, you note, cut across and seem to serve as tripwires and barriers. Trying to move about inside it will be tricky.
>_
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>Roll a 20 on our dexterity Check
>Alternatively, can we use our regular attacks to cut some of the strings?
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>Roll a 20 on our dexterity Check
>Alternatively, can we use our regular attacks to cut some of the strings?
>What is this dice shit? This a Z-Machine Adventure, where you survive on your brains and cleverness, not some chintzy dice!
>You can certainly try!
>_
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>Well, it's the only plan I can think of that has the least likely chance of us looking like a wobbling buffoon, so let's cut down as many strands as we can see in our way as we move further in.
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> Shoot a few mind bullets at the gossamer to see what happens
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>Well, it's the only plan I can think of that has the least likely chance of us looking like a wobbling buffoon, so let's cut down as many strands as we can see in our way as we move further in.
> Shoot a few mind bullets at the gossamer to see what happens
>You fire upon the strands, and are pleased to see your shots pierce through them rather easily. There is an issue of the debris getting in the way, some improvement is better than none.
>You hear an angry, animal shriek within the web.
>_
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>Hold Ground, Prepare for incoming attacks.
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>Hold Ground, Prepare for incoming attacks.
>A black thing emerges from around the corner of the web and comes straight at you, shrieking madly!
>_
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>Declare "Visionary Wave: Mind Blowing"
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>Declare "Visionary Wave: Mind Blowing"
>You grab and declare your spellcard. Then the blur slams into you! You feel your back hit the ground, while something heavy sits on your torso, raining blows upon your face and upper torso.
>_
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>Amidst the pain, briefly wonder what the point of having spellcards is if no one bothers to follow danmaku rules anymore.
>Try to roll backwards and kick whatever is on top of us in that direction.
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>Amidst the pain, briefly wonder what the point of having spellcards is if no one bothers to follow danmaku rules anymore.
>Try to roll backwards and kick whatever is on top of us in that direction.
> Remember this is probably not a PERSON.
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>Amidst the pain, briefly wonder what the point of having spellcards is if no one bothers to follow danmaku rules anymore.
>Try to roll backwards and kick whatever is on top of us in that direction.
>You decide to do the latter first and hopes of making the hurting stop. You use the motion from the fall and use it to keep rolling, and throw the thing off you before it can pummel you too badly.
>You come up to your knees, and look over to see that the black blur appears to be a sort of monkey, a little less than half your size. Curiously, it seems to have two sets of arms, and two sets of legs. No wonder it took a liking to punching you. It launches itself back up to its feet and starts toward a tree. In the blink of an eye, it is latches onto the trunk and starts climbing.
>_
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>Shoot a bullet towards a dense wall, hoping it would pierce a piece of web.
>Glare into the thing's eyes as it looks toward you.
>Try to perception-fail it into getting tangled into one of the walls, Using our Lunatic Eyes.
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> shoot it with an optic blast.
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>Shoot a bullet towards a dense wall, hoping it would pierce a piece of web.
>Glare into the thing's eyes as it looks toward you.
>Try to perception-fail it into getting tangled into one of the walls, Using our Lunatic Eyes.
>You fire at one of the more dense bits of web, and are pleased to see it makes a hole.
>The beast isn't looking at you right now, it seems to be putting a few trees worth of distance between you and it.
> shoot it with an optic blast.
>It's too far away.
>_
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>Where is it going?
>Look around for now, since it didn't react to the second shot towards the web like I had expected it to.
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>Where is it going?
>Look around for now, since it didn't react to the second shot towards the web like I had expected it to.
>It seems to be moving from tree to tree, circling around to the other side of the clearing.
>You look around. There seems to be nothing exceptional that you missed from your original look around.
>_
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> Shoot at the gossamer a few more times
> If nothing noteworthy happens, try to walk around it, shooting mind bullets at larger chunks of debris and seeing how far inside the webbing you can see
> Keep an ear out for the monkey just in case it decides to come back
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> Shoot at the gossamer a few more times
> If nothing noteworthy happens, try to walk around it, shooting mind bullets at larger chunks of debris and seeing how far inside the webbing you can see
> Keep an ear out for the monkey just in case it decides to come back
>You shoot at the webbing a few more times; and sever one of the the larger strands, causing some of the debris to collapse under its own weight.
>You walk around the web, noting it has several ways you could enter it, if you chose to and wanted to risk getting stuck. You shoot at some of the debris, knocking a few of the smaller bits off from the force of the shots.
>The treetops are quiet for a few moments, but you think you hear the beast drawing close again.
>_
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>Remember past training from the Tag Dream championship a while ago, prepare to grapple and suplex.
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>Remember past training from the Tag Dream championship a while ago, prepare to grapple and suplex.
>But you lost pretty badly. This has not happened. Yet.
>_
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> Sidestep and shoot at its legs
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> Sidestep and shoot at its legs
>You sidestep. This turns out to be a very good idea as something solidly smacks into the where you were standing moments ago.
>Looking up toward the trees, you see the monkey has returned, and is carrying a load of rocks with its lower set of arms. You fire at it, but it ducks aside and lets the shots go by while grabbing another rock with its upper arm.
>_
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>Manipulate wavelengths of light in an attempt to disorient it.
>If possible, keep moving in some direction or another while doing this.
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>Manipulate wavelengths of light in an attempt to disorient it.
>If possible, keep moving in some direction or another while doing this.
>You manipulate the light as well as you can. It's a little far off to get the full effect, but you are certain it's not going to be nearly so accurate as before. Its angry screech suggests you've had some effect.
>You keep moving, regardless, as a few more stones smack into the snow. You have more breathing room now, for certain.
>_
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>Throw a snowball at it but put what Tewi's puts in them.
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>Throw a snowball at it but put what Tewi's puts in them.
>You decide, at least for the time being, that shooting it might be too much. So instead you grab one of its rocks, pack a bit of snow around it to cushion the blow a bit, and let it fly.
>The rock hits the monkey in the chest. It drops all of its stones, squealing from surprise, and nearly falls off the branch. Snaking out with its tail, it grabs onto the branch as it starts to tumble and dangles for a moment, before reaching up and starting to pull itself back. Still, disoriented as it is, the process is not easy.
>_
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>If its possible, shake the tree violently.
>If not, fire more snow-rocks
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>If its possible, shake the tree violently.
>If not, fire more snow-rocks
>Tree is large enough it would take Marisa or perhaps Byakuren to shake it. So you peg it with another loaded snowball.
>It screeches and falls about twelve or so feet to the ground, landing hard in the snow.
>_
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>
eat monkey
>Go up and examine monkey. Disarm it of rocks.
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>eat monkey
>Go up and examine monkey. Disarm it of rocks.
>You go and examine the monkey. It seems to be unconscious. You recall the faeries calling it a monkey spider, which you imagine distinguishes it from a spider monkey. It does seem to be more spider than simian, though, given it seems to spin webs and has eight limbs.
>_
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> With the thing unconscious, we can explore more of the web now.
> Either shoot or throw snowball-rocks at the web, whichever is more efficient.
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> With the thing unconscious, we can explore more of the web now.
> Either shoot or throw snowball-rocks at the web, whichever is more efficient.
>You look into the web. There's really not a whole lot of interest inside it, mostly just random junk stuck to the silk. You do note there is a nice blue bottle dangling from part of the web, though.
>You also determine that if you sever a few key strands, the whole thing should collapse on itself.
>_
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> Inspect bottle: does it look at all familiar?
> Determine if bottle is possible to obtain without getting super-tangled-up in the gossamer.
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> Inspect bottle: does it look at all familiar?
> Determine if bottle is possible to obtain without getting super-tangled-up in the gossamer.
>It doesn't seem particularly familiar.
>You could probably extract it easily enough, as long as you're careful. It would help to sever that support strand on the northern edge and bring down that side of the web, first.
>_
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>Fire at the northern support strand until it is severed, then carefully retrieve the bottle.
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>Fire at the northern support strand until it is severed, then carefully retrieve the bottle.
>It takes a couple shots, but you neatly sever the strand and send about a fifth of the web crashing to the ground. Then you retrieve the Blue Bottle without difficulty.
>You have obtained: Blue Bottle.
>_
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>Now, sever the rest of the support strings so it collapses.
>Hmm... what could we do with a wild monkey spider? We have to do SOMETHING so it doesn't make another web.
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>Now, sever the rest of the support strings so it collapses.
>Hmm... what could we do with a wild monkey spider? We have to do SOMETHING so it doesn't make another web.
>You quickly shoot down the other support stands, and send the whole thing crashing to the ground.
>You consider the unconscious beast. It probably would be a bad idea to take it anywhere, who know what it would do when it wakes up?
>_
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>Recall if Eirin has a biological laboratory or other such place for animals. I'd assume this isn't a common animal, so she might like to see it anyway.
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>Recall if Eirin has a biological laboratory or other such place for animals. I'd assume this isn't a common animal, so she might like to see it anyway.
>Eirin does not maintain a fully equipped lab for such things, but you've known her to keep a specimen or two from time to time. You think she has a cage that it would fit in, anyways. She might be interested in this.
>_
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> Check physical condition
> If good enough that we can carry/drag the monkey spider, take it back to Eientei.
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> Check physical condition
> If good enough that we can carry/drag the monkey spider, take it back to Eientei.
>You are a little sore around your upper body, but otherwise fine. You think your ought to be able to carry the monkey spider without difficulty.
>You pick up the monkey spider, which weighs about as much as a child, and make your way back to Eientei as quickly as you can, before it can wake up on you. Or possibly worse, wake up in Eientei.
>You reach the front gates of Eientei without incident, pushing through the brush back to the road a bit more quickly now that you know the way.
>You stand outside the front doors of Eientei. Obvious exits are East and West. You don't think the Monkey Spider has stirred.
>_
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> Bolt to Eirin's office
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> Bolt to Eirin's office
>You head into Eirin's Office as quickly as you can.
>"Ah, I wish you would knock befo-" Eirin says as you burst in. Then she looks at what you are carrying. You find yourself at a rare moment now. Eirin, immortal and ever level-headed Eirin, is completely dumbfounded and speechless. The look on her face is one you never thought you would see without some sort of proper Incident going on.
>_
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> "So... I though you might want to see this."
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> "Yeah, neat-o stuff here, right? Thought it might be worth studying, even if only for the knowledge. It was spinning webs all over the Forest of Magic to the point that the mountain gods noticed it interfering with the wind."
> "Do you have something you can tranq it with? I can't guarantee it'll stay out cold forever and it's pretty unhappy when it's awake."
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> "So... I though you might want to see this."
> "Yeah, neat-o stuff here, right? Thought it might be worth studying, even if only for the knowledge. It was spinning webs all over the Forest of Magic to the point that the mountain gods noticed it interfering with the wind."
> "Do you have something you can tranq it with? I can't guarantee it'll stay out cold forever and it's pretty unhappy when it's awake."
>"Well, I suppose I should get a cage, then," she say, standing from her desk.
>In short order, the monkey spider is placed inside a padlocked cage and sedated. Eirin then puts a blanket over the cage and sets it in the back. "This has become an interesting day," she says. "Perhaps I should consider letting you run around without a care more often. I presume that Hina got her package safely? And let's get you something for those bruises." She goes to one of the many cabinets and starts rifle through its contents.
>_
-
> "Oh, speaking of Hina, I helped her get back her arm."
> "It turns out one of the rabbits MAY HAVE got out last night and went drinking with Hina, Letty, and Rumia. I check the rabbits with the description I was given, but none of them say they were out last night, so we may have an imposter around."
-
> "Oh, speaking of Hina, I helped her get back her arm."
> "It turns out one of the rabbits MAY HAVE got out last night and went drinking with Hina, Letty, and Rumia. I check the rabbits with the description I was given, but none of them say they were out last night, so we may have an imposter around."
>"She lost an arm?" asks Eirin. "How unexpected. I trust she is well? And we have someone else picking up Tewi's bad habits? Well, I suppose we should nip this in the bud. I expect they would deny it if you just asked, they have no reason to let be known that they broke the rules; especially given that you're connected to me." She smiles. "I appreciate that you are looking into this for me, thank you. But, what makes you think there may be an imposter?"
>_
-
> "It's just that... The people I've asked don't have any idea who it could be, and the weird thing is, that the description SOUNDS like Tewi, but I've gotten reliable info that it wasn't..."
-
>"Also, Mokou says the rabbit did not seem to know how to get back to Eientei. I was thinking... perhaps a lunar rabbit has come here for some reason."
-
> "I also have a dark horse theory, related to the big issue of the day. I've done some investigating into the war between Reimu and the Palanquin Ship folks, and I'm beginning to wonder how involved Nue could be, since Reimu took issue with one her toys specifically. I wonder if she's trying to hide somewhere...I mean, she's a nue, right? She could look like just about any creature. I have wondered if last night's mystery rabbit was her."
-
> "It's just that... The people I've asked don't have any idea who it could be, and the weird thing is, that the description SOUNDS like Tewi, but I've gotten reliable info that it wasn't..."
>"That doesn't seem very notable," says Eirin. "There's quite a few rabbits here, and it is a bit much to expect everyone to know them all. I tend to have a few problems remembering every face and name, myself."
>"Also, Mokou says the rabbit did not seem to know how to get back to Eientei. I was thinking... perhaps a lunar rabbit has come here for some reason."
>"That is interesting," says Eirin. "It does suggest she is unfamiliar with the forest, or that she was impaired enough to forget the way. I imagine she would have quite the hangover in the latter case, unless she was wise enough to take some preventative measures beforehand."
> "I also have a dark horse theory, related to the big issue of the day. I've done some investigating into the war between Reimu and the Palanquin Ship folks, and I'm beginning to wonder how involved Nue could be, since Reimu took issue with one her toys specifically. I wonder if she's trying to hide somewhere...I mean, she's a nue, right? She could look like just about any creature. I have wondered if last night's mystery rabbit was her."
>Eirin nods. "That is also possible. But why would she want to involve us? If she were just in disguise to look around, it seems a bit much that she'd also come here. So it would suggest she has a reason to involve us, or at least has a reason to be here."
>_
-
> "Hm... Well I guess the only thing I can really do is head out and try to gather more info. If you'll excuse me..."
-
> "Hm... Well I guess the only thing I can really do is head out and try to gather more info. If you'll excuse me..."
>Eirin nods, and hands you a small bottle. "This should deal ease away those bruises before they get nasty. Drink it in one gulp.
>You obtain: Healtm Potion.
>"Also," she says as she returns to her desk, "Let me give you this as a thank you for little present," She produces a small bag and tosses it to you. You catch it and note the telltale metallic clink of coins. "There should be about 700☼ in there," she says. "It may not get you very far with Rinnosuke, but you might find other uses for it. It is not much, given the nature of that specimen, but I am afraid it is all I have on hand at the moment."
>You obtain: 700☼
>_
-
> "Thank you very much!"
> Smile.
> Exit Eientei and head for the Moriya Shrine.
-
> "Thank you very much!"
> Smile.
> Exit Eientei and head for the Moriya Shrine.
>You thank Eirin and smile. She returns the latter gesture.
>You depart Eientei, and take a much more relaxed trip than the previous one. Along the way, you note Merlin emerging from Kourindou. She doesn't seem to pay you much mind.
>Ascending up to the mountain, you see Momiji is now standing guard outside of one of the buildings in tengu town.
>You enter the grounds of the Moriya Shrine. It is a rather impressive-looking wooden building; clearly a lot of love have gone into constructing it. A path to the north leads around the shrine to a pond with several Onbashira arranged in it. A paved walkway leads to the shrine itself. Obvious exits are east, west, and north.
>_
-
> Locate Sanae.
> Ask to see Kanako
> If she lets us, tell Kanako that we think we found the source of the distrbance and are takeing care of it (did we get rid of all the web? I don't remember)
> If not, tell Sanae to teell Kanako for us.
-
> Locate Sanae.
> Ask to see Kanako
> If she lets us, tell Kanako that we think we found the source of the distrbance and are takeing care of it (did we get rid of all the web? I don't remember)
> If not, tell Sanae to teell Kanako for us.
>You enter the Shrine, and find Sanae just inside, messing with some kind of toy in the front hall.
>You say that you wish to see Kanako. "She told me to expect you back sometime today. Please go inside."
>You enter Kanako's chamber, and find that she hasn't moved at all. "The wind flows clearly again," she says as you enter. "You did well."
>You quickly explain what you found and that you cleared out the web. She nods "I appreciate your services, particularly in making certain it would not happen anew. That is beyond what I had expected of you. For that, accept a small gift." She makes sweep gesture in your direction.
>"I have filled that empty bottle with a gale. Uncork it, and it shall stream with a strong, concentrated gust for a few minutes before it is depleted. Smash it and you will create a short lived windstorm. It is yours to do with as you please."
>You obtain: Bottle of Wind
>She makes another gesture, and a slight breeze fills the chamber. It carries a vibrant leaf, rather like the one in Kanako's hair across the room, until it lands at your feet. "This is my blessing, please deliver it to Patchouli with my gratitude to you both."
>_
-
> Thank Kanako and take your leave.
> Locate a donation box or some such, and leave a nice monitary donation. 200sunthingy is a good amount, right?
> examine Sanae's thingy, ask her what it is.
-
>Be certain we picked up the leaf. I didn't see a "You obtain:" up there.
-
>Be certain we picked up the leaf. I didn't see a "You obtain:" up there.
>Unlike your recent foe, you cannot effectively pick things up with your feet, so you stoop down and grab it.
>You obtain: Windblown Leaf
> Thank Kanako and take your leave.
> Locate a donation box or some such, and leave a nice monitary donation. 200sunthingy is a good amount, right?
> examine Sanae's thingy, ask her what it is.
>You thank Kanako and take your leave. "May your day be bright," she says.
>There is a donation box out front. You leave 100☼, which is considered a pretty generous donation. You expect it would probably get the likes of Reimu or Byakuren to invite you to dinner.
>You examine the thing Sanae is playing with. It seems to be a plastic doll of an fully armored person. "Oh, this is a 1/60 scale VF-1A Valkyrie I found at Kourindou a month ago," she says. "Isn't it cool? It even transforms accurately!"
>_
-
> "I... Uh... See."
> Bid Sanae farewell.
> Stop by Kourindou.
-
> "I... Uh... See."
> Bid Sanae farewell.
> Stop by Kourindou.
>Feeling a bit awkward, now, you bid Sanae goodbye and make your way down the mountain and to Kourindou.
>Some distance to the North of Kourindou, you see something in the snow not far from the edge of the Forest of Magic. You are fairly certain it is canine, and suspect it is that wolf.
>you enter Kourindou. Rinnosuke looks up. "Welcome back, Reisen," he says. "I had begun to wonder if I would see you again today."
>The store contains:
>Broken Broadsword Handle
>Iron Key
>Jeweled Box
>Masterfully Crafted Wakazashi
>Sun Sign: Royal Flare
>1/60 Scale Valsione Model
>Scarlet Devil Mansion Snow Globe
>Nightlife (Extended)
>Large Bag of Beans
>Remote Control
>Bar of Baker's Chocolate
>Bottle of Wine
>Green Yo-Yo
>Lacquered Chopsticks
>Dusty Ring
>Bag of Birdseed
>Umbrella
>Large Pillow
>Deck of Cards
>White Vase
>Teddy Bear Angel
>Bonsai Tree
>Green-Eyed Jealousy
>3 Caramels
>Vial of Sand Grains
>Wall Scroll
>Red Gem
>Candid Friend
>Small Bookcase
>Vial of Grey Liquid
>Silver Necklace
>_
-
>Show inventory
>Ask about what we can trade for the Wakazashi now
>Ask what we can get the 1/60 model for as well.
-
> Examine sand grains, grey liquid, silver necklace, teddy bear, umbrella, red gem, wall scroll, and 3 caramels.
-
> "My comb's gone already? Where did it go?"
-
>Examine everything from the Teddy Bear Angel and down
-
>Show inventory
>Ask about what we can trade for the Wakazashi now
>Ask what we can get the 1/60 model for as well.
>Your Inventory contains:
>Dress Suit w/ Stockings (Wore as clothes)
>Cresent Pin (Worn as accessory)
>Wave Sign: Mind Shaker
>Visionary Wave: Mind Blowing
>Lunatic Sign: Visionary Tuning
>Lunatic Gaze: Illusion Seeker
>Loafing Sign: Idling Wave
>Indolence: Mind Stopper
>Spread Sign: Invisible Full Moon
>Lunar Eyes: Tele-Mesmerism
>Pair of Tinted Glasses (Worn as Eyewear)
>Beautiful Seashell
>Dark Blue Backpack
>Bag of Fragrant Herbs
>Snake Paperweight
>Faerie Ribbon
>Reimu's IOU
>Lily Pad Leaf
>Raw Lamprey Fillet
>Bottle of Wind
>Heal tm potion
>600☼
>Windblown Leaf
>Rinnosuke considers your possessions. "That IOU would cover it nicely," he says.
>"That? Well, I'll trade you that Bag of Fragrant Herbs for it."
> Examine sand grains, grey liquid, silver necklace, teddy bear, umbrella, red gem, wall scroll, and 3 caramels.
>Vial of Sand Grains
>This tiny vial contains eleven grains of sand.
>Vial of Grey Liquid
>A liquid the color of concrete and the consistency of water. You have no idea what it is for, but you don't think it is a medicine of any kind.
>Silver Necklace
>A simple, unadorned silver necklace, it seems like an understated accessory.
>Teddy Bear Angel
>A cute stuffed bear with angel wings and halo.
>Umbrella
>This is a bright red umbrella, it seems to be in good condition.
>Red Gem
>This is an oval-shaped gem, you do not know what kind of gem it is, or if it is just glass.
>Wall Scroll
>This wall hanging features a beautiful ink painting of an elk looking down upon a verdant river valley.
>3 Caramels
>Individually wrapped caramels. You get the feeling there is more to them than it seems.
> "My comb's gone already? Where did it go?"
>"It was purchased, of course," says Rinnosuke.
>Examine everything from the Teddy Bear Angel and down
>Bonsai Tree
>This is a small bonsai tree, expertly pruned.
>Candid Friend
>A song incorporating odd phrases and rhythms, in hopes that it will be pleasing to listen to after encountering it often.
>Small Bookcase
>A two-foot tall bookcase, with two levels for books or other items to occupy.
>Green-Eyed Jealousy
>A song with a melodious feel, rather out of place given its intention.
>_
-
To other voices: The IOU? Really? If we trade that, we're getting more than that fucking sword.
Any ideas what else we should try for?
-
Reimu'd probably be peeved if we forced her to owe a favor to Rinnosuke, too. I'm not so sure about trading it.
-
Voices: She gave it to us pretty much to trade. We should at least get a good value out of it. And further there is the fact that getting the wakazashi would get us in really good with Youmu, which would solve another (minor) incident.
-
True. It would be pretty neat to go around as a swordbunny, too.
If we do give it up for the sword, I propose returning to Patchy to give her those blessings and then setting off to hunt for Nue. We've put Reimu's issues off long enough and she's given us the most valuable item in the story so far if Rinnosuke is any indication, the least we can do is actually work for her.
-
>Ask Rinnosuke what he knows about the caramels
-
>Ask Rinnosuke what he knows about the caramels
>"Those are an interesting item," says Rinnosuke. "They've got a bit of chaos magic in them. Eat them, and it takes effect. Obviously, it is something of a gamble when you use them, but I don't believe they are directly harmful. I suppose this doesn't rule out indirect harm."
-
> ask what we could trade for Candid Freind and/or Green Eyed Jelousey
-
> ask what we could trade for Candid Freind and/or Green Eyed Jelousey
>Rinnosuke rubs his chin. "I suppose I could accept that Snake Paperweight for one of them."
>_
-
> "I can dig it."
> Trade SHINY SNAKE THING for CANDID FREIND.
-
> "I can dig it."
> Trade SHINY SNAKE THING for CANDID FREIND.
> No, don't do this. Shiny Shake Thing may be of far more value to someone than a song.
-
> "I can dig it."
> Trade SHINY SNAKE THING for CANDID FREIND.
> No, don't do this. Shiny Shake Thing may be of far more value to someone than a song.
>You feel conflicted.
>_
-
> What can I get for MY BODY
-
> Contemplate whether getting Royal Flare for Patchouli would get us anything
-
> Contemplate whether getting Royal Flare for Patchouli would get us anything
>You might be able to trade it for something. But you don't honestly know what she has to give.
>_
-
> "Do you know where Merlin was going when she left here?"
> "May I ask who purchased my comb, or is that an unethical business practice?"
-
> "Do you know where Merlin was going when she left here?"
> "May I ask who purchased my comb, or is that an unethical business practice?"
>"I think she was going back to the Palace of the Earth Spirits," says Rinnosuke. "It seems she and the other Prismrivers have been staying there."
>"I am afraid it is," he says. "She requested privacy."
>_
-
Okay, we need to get this fucking show on the road. Let's finish up here before matching back to Patchy.
> Trade the bag of herbs for the 1/60 model, we can get in good with Sanae with that
> "I'll get back to you about the IOU for the Wakazashi. Reimu entrusted it to me and I haven't done a great job investigating for her so far, so I want to feel like I've earned it before giving it away."
> "What would you trade the red gem or silver neckace for?"
-
Okay, we need to get this fucking show on the road. Let's finish up here before matching back to Patchy.
> Trade the bag of herbs for the 1/60 model, we can get in good with Sanae with that
> "I'll get back to you about the IOU for the Wakazashi. Reimu entrusted it to me and I haven't done a great job investigating for her so far, so I want to feel like I've earned it before giving it away."
> "What would you trade the red gem or silver neckace for?"
>You make the trade
>You obtain: 1/60 Scale Valsione Model
>"Hmmm," says Rinnosuke, "For the IOU, I could be persuaded to allow you to have Red Gem or the Silver Necklace as you like on top of the Masterfully Crafted Wakazahi. Or I suppose I could accept the Snake Paperweight for either of them. Perhaps Loafing Sign: Idling Wave for both."
>_
-
> "So you might do the IOU and the Paperweight for all three? That sounds like a deal I could make. Again, though, I'd like to think I earned the I.O.U. before giving it away. I don't want to make Reimu angry. I wouldn't like her when she's angry."
> "...Though, now that I think about it...how likely do you think it is someone else might trade for the gem or the necklace?"
-
> "So you might do the IOU and the Paperweight for all three? That sounds like a deal I could make. Again, though, I'd like to think I earned the I.O.U. before giving it away. I don't want to make Reimu angry. I wouldn't like her when she's angry."
> "...Though, now that I think about it...how likely do you think it is someone else might trade for the gem or the necklace?"
>Rinnosuke nods. "I understand. Should you change your mind, I'll be here. Hopefully they will as well."
>"I suspect the Red Gem might appeal to any magic user, or those with an interest in curiosities or decorating. I imagine it would sit here a few hours to a few days. As for the necklace, I cannot say. It is simple enough to appeal to anyone."
>_
-
> "...Actually...I think I've changed my mind. Reimu only said to not just give it away for nothing, and that sword is hardly giving it away for nothing. Let's make this deal."
> Trade I.O.U. and paperweight for gem, necklace and sword. If Reimu really gets mad about this we can just donate until she's calm again.
> "Okay, I'm off to tie up one last loose end, and then get to work hard on investigating for Reimu. If she happens to come by and finds out you have the I.O.U., let her know I'm still working on her problem."
> Leave Kourindou and head back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
-
> "...Actually...I think I've changed my mind. Reimu only said to not just give it away for nothing, and that sword is hardly giving it away for nothing. Let's make this deal."
> Trade I.O.U. and paperweight for gem, necklace and sword. If Reimu really gets mad about this we can just donate until she's calm again.
> "Okay, I'm off to tie up one last loose end, and then get to work hard on investigating for Reimu. If she happens to come by and finds out you have the I.O.U., let her know I'm still working on her problem."
> Leave Kourindou and head back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
>You obtain: Masterfully Crafted Wakazashi
>You obtain: Silver Necklace.
>You obtain: Red Gem
>You head back to Scarlet Devil Mansion. Meiling notes you with a nod and smile, and waves for you to go in.
>_
-
> Head into library
> Deliver blessing leaves to Patchouli
> "I haven't had a chance to head underground yet, sorry. Been swamped with work. It's on my to-do list, but Reimu currently needs me more, so I'm looking into that UFO first."
> If Marisa is still present, let her know that Alice is currently shacked up with Hina, mending a detatched arm
-
> List current quests, the Traveling Salesman has forgotten what he's hawking
-
> Head into library
> Deliver blessing leaves to Patchouli
> "I haven't had a chance to head underground yet, sorry. Been swamped with work. It's on my to-do list, but Reimu currently needs me more, so I'm looking into that UFO first."
> If Marisa is still present, let her know that Alice is currently shacked up with Hina, mending a detatched arm
>You head into the library, passing by Sakuya as she directs a small squadron of maids in dusting the foyer. The young Basset Hound is at her feet, and while Sakuya does not notice you, the dog does and begins to bark at you.
>You do not see Marisa anywhere, but it is a large library. You do find Patchouli at her table, pouring over some tome. You note that Koakuma is visible in the back of the library, apparently shelving something. Patchouli looks up from her book, and waits for you to speak.
>You give her the leaves. She grins. "Excellent, these are exactly what I needed!" She takes them and says, "I require the box and my notes." Koakuma looks up from her current task, and flits away. A few moments later, she approaches Patchouli with a wooden box and a sheaf of papers. Patchouli takes the latter and flips through them for about half a minute, nodding to herself with the periodic, "Mm hm..." Then she sets them aside and opens the box and pulls out a single shit of badly waterlogged paper.
>Clearing a spot on the table, she places the waterlogged paper on the table, and places the two leaves on top of it. Then she holds her hands over it and begins to chant. The leaves begin to emit a soft light, and a plume of steam raises from the paper, dissipating into the dry air quickly. Soon, the water damage entirely vanished, and you can see a picture drawn on the paper. It is a crayon picture of Patchouli, with her hands folded demurely and wearing an uncharacteristic smile. It is signed "Flandre age 501"
>Patchouli seems pleased with herself, as she takes the leaves and places them into a box. "Thank you, Reisen," she says as she regards the picture, "you've done a significant favor for me." Then she looks to Koakuma. "Procure a frame, please." Koakuma nods, and hurries off.
>"So," says Patchouli, "What sort of reward do you wish?"
> List current quests, the Traveling Salesman has forgotten what he's hawking
>Your Current Quests Are:
>Revenge of the Buddha vs Yamato
>Prismrivers Comeback?
>Alice's Hookup
>Mystery of the Rabbit
>You Self-Appointed Goals are:
>Prove That I'm Not a Useless Rabbit, Good Only For My Sex Appeal
>Huggle Kaguya
>Invent a Base Six Pair of Pants
>_
-
> Wasn't there a quest regarding that dog? Or did Patchy fix things up there on her own?
> "What do you have to offer?"
> "Where's Marisa?"
> Show Patchouli the red gem.
> "What do you make of this? Rinnosuke said something about magicians when he described it."
> "Cute picture, by the way."
-
> Wasn't there a quest regarding that dog? Or did Patchy fix things up there on her own?
> "What do you have to offer?"
> "Where's Marisa?"
> Show Patchouli the red gem.
> "What do you make of this? Rinnosuke said something about magicians when he described it."
> "Cute picture, by the way."
>Database Error.
>"I can give you something of material value," says Patchouli, "Or something you might find personally useful. Or you make ask for something specific, if you like."
>"She went home for the time being. I anticipate she'll return this evening."
>You show Patchouli the red gem. She frowns at it. "Hmmm. Interesting. There is a definite enchantment on it, but I cannot say what. It seems to be set to trigger something else, as a kind of key. There's also a hint of fire magic about it. I'm not quite sure of the strength of either."
>You compliment the picture. "Yes, it's quite valuable to me. Letting it be damaged was one of my greater oversights."
>_
-
> Drink heal potion. Why didn't we do this immediately? Make sure it goes down in one gulp like Sensei instructed.
> "I can't think of anything specific I need except for maybe Nue's audience and I'm not sure how much I need material goods right now. What do you think would be personally useful to me as I am?"
-
> Drink heal potion. Why didn't we do this immediately? Make sure it goes down in one gulp like Sensei instructed.
> "I can't think of anything specific I need except for maybe Nue's audience and I'm not sure how much I need material goods right now. What do you think would be personally useful to me as I am?"
>You drink the Healtm potion. It takes oddly like blackberries, but it does ease your aches away.
>"Nue, if nothing has changed since I was last there, shouldn't be hard to find. She has a bar in the Ancient City, just to the west of the food stalls in the middle of town. As for personally useful, I have a medal that imparts courage to the wearer. It has served me well in the past."
>_
-
> "Sure, that sounds like a good thing to have"
> Accept Medal
> Thank Patchouli an head off to underground land place
-
> "Sure, that sounds like a good thing to have"
> Accept Medal
> Thank Patchouli an head off to underground land place
>Patchouli nods, and produces a Silver Medal.
>You obtain: Silver Medal
>You would go underground, but you have no idea how to get there. You're pretty sure the entrance isn't far from the Forest of Magic, but that's about it.
>_
-
> "For future reference, how would we go about going to visit Satori?"
-
> "For future reference, how would we go about going to visit Satori?"
>"Ah yes," says Patchouli, "I forget that not many people go underground. Do you know where Marisa's home is, right off the edge of the road to the Bamboo Forest? Go West of her home, and you'll come to Wriggle's house. It's a large mushroom, quite distinctive. Go north of there, and you'll see a cave. Follow the cave, and you'll come to the Ancient City."
>"As well," Patchouli continues, "I would like to ask another favor from you. There is some leftover business I've been trying to investigate, and I've had little luck in make in progress. I would like to ask for the assistance of your master in researching it, if you think that you could arrange such a thing?"
>_
-
>"Uh, sure."
>Wear Silver Medal.
-
>"Can I ask what the research is about?"
-
>"Do you mean Eirin or Kaguya as 'my master'?"
-
>"Uh, sure."
>Wear Silver Medal.
>Patchouli nods. "Do not feel obligated to drop everything for this. But I imagine you will return to Eientei before too long."
>You pin the Silver Medal on your jacket.
>"Can I ask what the research is about?"
>You start to ask, but Patchouli has already gotten up and is walking toward the back of the library. She approaches, then rummages through a chest along the ball, then returns, bearing a small ring box. Patchouli opens it, revealing what seems to be a shard of metal with a dull golden color. You think it might have been part of a sword. "I wish to learn anything about this weapon she has to share. All I can say for search is that Rumia found it somewhere and it seems to have had a connection to a cosmic horror. Do not worry about the latter part, I can assure you it is inert now and the horror is as vanquished as we can expect it to be. As for the former, I assure you I've quizzed Rumia thoroughly, and she knows nothing, save that she found it around the Forest of Magic some time ago."
>"Do you mean Eirin or Kaguya as 'my master'?"
>"Eirin," says Patchouli. "But if she feels your princess would have insights, I do not mind that she be included. But, no one else. I wish to keep this research discreet for the time being. It is likely, you understand, for people to jump to the wrong conclusions. I trust your master to have the proper discretion."
>Koakuma returns, bearing a picture frame. It also contains the portrait of a woman with a towering wig and an elaborate ballgown. Patchouli frowns at her, ignoring Koakuma's grin. "We've discussed this before."
>_
-
> "Who is the person in the picture?"
> "Hmm... Do you think that the shard may have something to do with the Broken Broadsword Handle at Kourindou?"
-
> "Who is the person in the picture?"
> "Hmm... Do you think that the shard may have something to do with the Broken Broadsword Handle at Kourindou?"
>"Some person," says Patchouli, as Koakuma darts off with the portrait. "It's one of Remilia's."
>Patchouli shakes her head. "I doubt it. It was a complete weapon, before it was shattered. It's quite unlikely they would share an origin. But if you find any proof linking them, by all means share it with me."
>_
-
> "Sounds good."
>You obtain: Metal Shard
> Bid Patchouli farewell.
> Head for the Underground using the directions Patchouli gave us.
-
> "Sounds good."
> Bid Patchouli farewell.
> Head for the Underground using the directions Patchouli gave us.
>You bid Patchouli farewell, and leave the library.
>As you enter the foyer, you can see the maids have moved on. Instead, Remilia is standing there, carrying her parasol. "You," she says, looking in your direction, "Walk with us."
>_
-
> "Eh?"
> Walk with them.
-
> "Eh?"
> Walk with them.
>You make about the most appropriate sound that you can.
>You then join them, which turns out to be just Remilia. She leads you outside, then turns east, toward a statue garden.
>"We've noticed that you've been coming and going today," says Remilia, as she looks at one of the statues, that of a woman in western style armor, kneeling in prayer. "Ah, do not worry. We don't mind. It's good for Patchouli to have some company. But we do notice these things. We also notice that sword hilt you have poking though the top of your backpack, and that makes us curious. What are you planning to do with it?"
>_
-
>"We have no plans of harm to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, any of it's inhabitants, or its interests. Beyond that what concern of it is yours that we acquired a sword? At rather high cost, I must admit."
>Don't say this in a negative way, say it kindly but firmly.
-
>"We have no plans of harm to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, any of it's inhabitants, or its interests. Beyond that what concern of it is yours that we acquired a sword? At rather high cost, I must admit."
>Don't say this in a negative way, say it kindly but firmly.
>"Oh, we never meant to assert you were a fool, of course," says Remilia, as she looks at a statue of a woman that seems rather similar to the one in the portrait that Koakuma fetched. "Some of our finer work, don't you think? As for our business, let's simply say that we've suffered quite a few indignities at the hands of the sword's original owner, before our Patchouli relieved her of it. Our stake in it is quite obvious."
>_
-
>"Ok. What would you like me to do about it? Odds are I could get something very nice from the 'original owner' of this sword for returning it to her. Do you plan to discourage me from this course of action? I might have an equitable solution that makes all parties happy, but I'd like to hear what you were planning."
-
>"Ok. What would you like me to do about it? Odds are I could get something very nice from the 'original owner' of this sword for returning it to her. Do you plan to discourage me from this course of action? I might have an equitable solution that makes all parties happy, but I'd like to hear what you were planning."
>"We would like to return the balance to as it was," says Remilia, as she approaches a statue of a short woman in a huge skirt and a diadem. "Our guess seem to be accurate, you intend to return it for a reward of some kind. We have no issue with this. However, we cannot forget the indignity that Hakugyokorou has inflicted on us so easily. So, we would like to ask you to aid us in this. Of course, you will have our sincerest gratitude, and you will find it can move mountains. We trust we have your discretion, regardless of your choice?"
>_
-
> "Ah... Sure. But what do you have in mind exactly?"
-
>"You have my discretion, but not necessarily my agreement with what you want. I'd prefer to hear about it first, of course. As I said, I have a plan that should...ah...restore the balance as well, and I'll decide which one is better"
>Again, kindly/firmly, NOT arrogantly.
-
> "Ah... Sure. But what do you have in mind exactly?"
>"You have my discretion, but not necessarily my agreement with what you want. I'd prefer to hear about it first, of course. As I said, I have a plan that should...ah...restore the balance as well, and I'll decide which one is better"
>Again, kindly/firmly, NOT arrogantly.
>Remilia nods, still looking at the statue of the short woman. "It is simple. The swordswoman has been humbled, wonderfully so. We are still exceedingly pleased with our Patchouli. But, the one who gave her the order has suffered nothing for her brazenness and disrespect. We expect you will visit Hakugyokorou in time. When you do, no doubt you'll be welcomed in an attempt to get that weapon back. Allow them to do so. And pay close attention to the your surroundings. Yuyuko, as you may know, is quite proud of her palace." Remilia looks toward you now. "As such, I wish you to find the most valuable piece of art you that you can, and bring it to us without their knowledge. Afterwards, we shall handle the rest."
>_
-
>"And then Youmu gets her sword back, finds out what happened on a passive visit to you in the future, and the fighting between your two houses continues. Sorry, not gonna be a party to that. How about, instead, I trade the sword for the EXPLICIT AGREEMENT that they never move against you again, as well as something I might enjoy, and this hatchet get well buried. You can figure out how to exact your vengeance on Yuyuko with someone else. I'm already stuck in the middle of the Reimu/Byakuren thing. I don't need to be stuck in this Remilia/Yuyuko fight as well.
Unless you have a suggestion to make this action PURELY the end of the entire feud?"
-
>"And then Youmu gets her sword back, finds out what happened on a passive visit to you in the future, and the fighting between your two houses continues. Sorry, not gonna be a party to that. How about, instead, I trade the sword for the EXPLICIT AGREEMENT that they never move against you again, as well as something I might enjoy, and this hatchet get well buried. You can figure out how to exact your vengeance on Yuyuko with someone else. I'm already stuck in the middle of the Reimu/Byakuren thing. I don't need to be stuck in this Remilia/Yuyuko fight as well.
Unless you have a suggestion to make this action PURELY the end of the entire feud?"
>"That hardly satisfies that we, as well as our maids and our gatekeeper, had to suffer the indignity of being attacked in our own home for no reason at all," says Remilia, as she approaches a statute of a woman in curious robes and headpiece...and a beard on her chin? "while Yuyuko suffers nothing at all for her transgression. This is what you call justice, this is what you consider restoring the balance? And you speak of ending the feud? I intend to make that an issue when Yuyuko comes to reclaim what she lost."
>Remilia leads you from the statue garden, back toward the path to the gates. "But it is your choice. Do understand, we should note, that if you wish for you and your house to benefit from this, those who live in Gensokyo will be a much greater aid than those who live in the next world and have no concerns in this one."
>_
-
>Relent a little
>"Is that the situation? That's a little more serious than I anticipated. At any rate, how do you expect to keep me out of this? I'd prefer to end the feud here, but getting their cooperation won't assist with yours. So I'll consider doing this...errand if you can tell me how precisely I'm going to be uninvolved when the fighting breaks out AGAIN. I don't want to be named, and I don't want to be caught. I want to have NO connection to this. Any suggestions for this?"
-
>Relent a little
>"Is that the situation? That's a little more serious than I anticipated. At any rate, how do you expect to keep me out of this? I'd prefer to end the feud here, but getting their cooperation won't assist with yours. So I'll consider doing this...errand if you can tell me how precisely I'm going to be uninvolved when the fighting breaks out AGAIN. I don't want to be named, and I don't want to be caught. I want to have NO connection to this. Any suggestions for this?"
>"You'll be following our orders, of course," says Remilia. "And you will have given the gardener back her treasured weapon. What can they say? We have no difficulty in letting them think that you were more firmly coerced, if you like. As for fighting, it will be minimal. We've instructed the gatekeeper to allow them inside whenever they come, and a feast shall be prepared. Do allow us some credit, we're not quite so artless as you fear."
>_
-
>"I don't like it. I'm freely admitting that. But I also don't like garnering ill will when I can avoid it. I...accept your proposition. Well...since we're talking like this can I ask you about a few other things?"
-
>"I don't like it. I'm freely admitting that. But I also don't like garnering ill will when I can avoid it. I...accept your proposition. Well...since we're talking like this can I ask you about a few other things?"
>Remilia nods for you to continue.
>_
-
>"Do you know anything about the Byakuren/Reimu affair? And do you have any suggestions on how to get it peacably resolved? As it stands I think Reimu is jumping to conclusions, but it's possible that Byakuren, or more likely someone under her is behind it, so I'm trying to gather data."
-
>"Do you know anything about the Byakuren/Reimu affair? And do you have any suggestions on how to get it peacably resolved? As it stands I think Reimu is jumping to conclusions, but it's possible that Byakuren, or more likely someone under her is behind it, so I'm trying to gather data."
>"We don't know anything about it except for what our Patchouli told us," says Remilia. "To be frank, we suspect that Byakuren is up to something. You can't trust a person like that at all."
>_
-
>"Hmm? Why can't you trust her?"
>Asked inquisitively.
-
> Remeber to ask her who the heck all the people in these statues and paintings are.
-
>"Hmm? Why can't you trust her?"
>Asked inquisitively.
>Remilia waves a hand. "She's too good to be true. She acts all saintly and perfect and is just concerned for everyone else. That kind of person, you just can't trust. She's up to something, you mark our words. It's just a facade for something else."
> Remeber to ask her who the heck all the people in these statues and paintings are.
>You make a note to do this when it is convenient. Now would not be a bad time, in retrospect.
>_
-
> Remeber to ask her who the heck all the people in these statues and paintings are.
>and ask about the moustachioed one in particular
-
>"So...she's too good to be true? Given the rumors that are probably going around about me today, am I not too good to be true? Why can't someone just be nice for the sake of niceness? If you MUST ascribe a motive to her maybe she likes having favors owed her as well."
>Sigh
>"Sorry, you are entitled to your opinion, I just think it misguided. I'm investigating so any not-so-saintly things ARE liable to come up"
-
>"So...she's too good to be true? Given the rumors that are probably going around about me today, am I not too good to be true? Why can't someone just be nice for the sake of niceness? If you MUST ascribe a motive to her maybe she likes having favors owed her as well."
>Sigh
>"Sorry, you are entitled to your opinion, I just think it misguided. I'm investigating so any not-so-saintly things ARE liable to come up"
>"You don't define yourself by it," says Remilia. "Were Eirin to say the word, there's all sort of things you would do. We haven't forgotten. You have your vices, we're sure. But that one, she tries to act as though she's above it all. We are not fooled by such an act, nor should you be. Investigate, of course, just don't write her off. She has the most to gain by discrediting the Hakurei Shrine."
>and ask about the moustachioed one in particular
>You decide to ask about the statue. "That would be Pharaoh Hatshepsut," says Remilia. "She ruled over Egypt for sixteen or so years, long before most of civilization had done anything with itself. The beard is an ornament. All pharaohs wore it then."
-
>"I don't do sloppy work. Even if my own biases are in her favor, I will get to the bottom of this even if she is at fault. I owe it to Reimu"
-
>"I don't do sloppy work. Even if my own biases are in her favor, I will get to the bottom of this even if she is at fault. I owe it to Reimu"
>Remilia nods, it is hard to tell if she is convinced or not. "Anything else?"
>_
-
> ask her if she knows the anti-life eqasion.
-
> ask her if she knows the anti-life eqasion.
>"What?" Says Remilia, scowling. "If you have time for that, perhaps you should consider better things to spend it on."
>_
-
> "Well, if I may excuse myself."
> Bid Remilia farewell.
> Head for the Underground.
-
> "Well, if I may excuse myself."
> Bid Remilia farewell.
> Head for the Underground.
>You excuse yourself from Remilia, and begin to follow Patchouli's directions to the underground. You follow the road to the Bamboo Forest, then head north from the sign, toward the house you tried to break into earlier. You go west a bit, and see a huge mushroom that happens to have some windows and a door in it. Heading north again, you find a incline that quickly leads to a small canyon, which quickly delves into the earth and becomes a gloomy cave. Thankfully, it is not too gloomy; it seems the people underground don't care for not being able to see. But with your dark glasses, it is a little rough.
>You are stand in a long section of wide, rough tunnel. There is a spiderweb along the wall and ceiling. It reads "Shop at Kourindou!" backwards; apparently it is directed toward people leaving the caverns. Obvious exits are North and South.
>_
-
> Head deeper into the tunnel.
> Watch for falling buckets.
-
> Wonder when Yamame and her buddies became Kourindou's advertising partners.
-
> Head deeper into the tunnel.
> Watch for falling buckets.
>You head deeper into the tunnel, keeping an eye for falling buckets. You've heard more than enough stories about people getting mugged here to be wary, even though you don't know much about the underground realm. The ceiling is very gloomy, given your Pair of Dark Glasses, and you are not able to see much.
>There is a definite downwards incline now, and more bits of web here and there. Somewhere up ahead, you think you can hear water. You also hear a voice shout "Say rock!"
>_
-
>"Rock!"
>Jump backwards, then tackle anything that falls in front of you
-
>"Rock!"
>Jump backwards, then tackle anything that falls in front of you
>You shout "Rock!" and jump backwards.
>A bucket full of what must Kisume flies from the left, passes by you, and smacks into the right wall. "Rassfassin' egghead!" says Kisume, as shakes her head then flies off further into the cave.
>_
-
> Stop her with VIOLENCE.
> We're having some Kisume for breakfast.
-
> Stop her with VIOLENCE.
> We're having some Kisume for breakfast.
>There are many forms of violence, pick the one you wish to apply.
>_
-
>VIOLENT violence. In the FACE
-
>VIOLENT violence. In the FACE
>Using your FISTS and CRAZY EYES
-
>VIOLENT violence. In the FACE
>This isn't much help. Stop drinking.
>Using your FISTS and CRAZY EYES
>This does help.
>Kisume is already too far away to punch.
>As she is running away, she isn't really looking in your direction.
>_
-
> "KISUME! WAIT!"
-
> Oh shoot laser beams from your eyes. You CAN still do this, right?
> If this fails, try using your ear pins to create a SCREECH ATTACK against Kisume.
-
> "KISUME! WAIT!"
>She stops, some distance down the tunnel, and looks over her shoulder "What?" she calls back.
> Oh shoot laser beams from your eyes. You CAN still do this, right?
> If this fails, try using your ear pins to create a SCREECH ATTACK against Kisume.
>That's also a fairly close range attack, it's hard to keep the light waves behaving for more than a few feet from you.
>Don't drunkpost.
>_
>_
-
> Bum rush her then. Got anything we could use safely as a projectile weapon?
-
> Don't attack her
> "I'm on a mission from Patchouli, if you know her, and I need to get to the Palace of Earth Spirits. She said you'd be able to show me the way."
-
> Bum rush her then. Got anything we could use safely as a projectile weapon?
> Don't attack her
> "I'm on a mission from Patchouli, if you know her, and I need to get to the Palace of Earth Spirits. She said you'd be able to show me the way."
>You have your own danmaku, it's pretty projectilish.
>But for now, you decide not to attack.
>"Why'd she tell you that?" asks Kisume, giving you a curious look. "I don't go around there."
>_
-
> "I'm not sure, I suppose you did something nice for her and she had a good impression of you."
> "Since you don't head over there, can you tell me how to get there?"
-
> "I'm not sure, I suppose you did something nice for her and she had a good impression of you."
> "Since you don't head over there, can you tell me how to get there?"
>Kisume considers for a moment, then finally says, "You're going the right way. Not many other ways you can go, actually."
>_
-
> Inventory
> "I see, thank you very much!"
> Give a big wave
-
> Inventory
> "I see, thank you very much!"
> Give a big wave
>Your Inventory contains:
>Dress Suit w/ Stockings (Wore as clothes)
>Cresent Pin (Worn as accessory)
>Wave Sign: Mind Shaker
>Visionary Wave: Mind Blowing
>Lunatic Sign: Visionary Tuning
>Lunatic Gaze: Illusion Seeker
>Loafing Sign: Idling Wave
>Indolence: Mind Stopper
>Spread Sign: Invisible Full Moon
>Lunar Eyes: Tele-Mesmerism
>Pair of Tinted Glasses (Worn as eyewear)
>Beautiful Seashell
>Dark Blue Backpack
>Snake Paperweight
>Faerie Ribbon
>Reimu's IOU
>Lily Pad Leaf
>Raw Lamprey Fillet
>Bottle of Wind
>Heal tm potion
>600☼
>Windblown Leaf
>1/60 Scale Valsione Model
>Masterfully Crafted Wakazashi
>Silver Necklace.
>Red Gem
>Silver Medal (Worn as accessory)
>Metal Shard
>Kisume nods in response to your wave, and bounces off, clearly a bit confused by the whole exchange.
>_
-
> Our crazy eyes are causing us to see Reimu's IOU still, crazy!
> Continue onwards.
-
>Haven't we already lost the snake paperweight, both the leaves, AND the IOU? Our eyes really are going crazy on us >:
-
> Our crazy eyes are causing us to see Reimu's IOU still, crazy!
> Continue onwards.
>Someday a better database needs to be found. Because those were most definitely removed. =[
>You continue onwards.
>The sound of water grows louder. Soon, you come to a lonely bridge spanning over a swiftly flowing subterranean river. Up ahead, you can see lights and an old stone gateway that leads to the Ancient City.
>_
-
>Shouldn't Parsee be here...? Hmm.
>Investigate area around this bridge, on both sides.
-
>Shouldn't Parsee be here...? Hmm.
>Investigate area around this bridge, on both sides.
>You investigate the bridge. It is in pretty good condition, and seems quite well made. You notice there is a small house under it; there are no lights in the windows. There doesn't seem to be any sign of people around, though you think you see some motion far off in the distance over the river; probably some faeries playing around.
>_
-
> Go into the house.
-
> Go into the house.
>You make your way down to the house, and find the door is locked. In retrospect, with Kisume running around, this is a good idea. There are no lights on, and you cannot hear anyone inside. It doesn't seem like the homeowner is in. You suspect they went to town.
>_
-
> Investigate the motion across the river
-
> Go back up to the bridge, cross over it, and continue onward.
-
> Investigate the motion across the river
>It's fairly hard to see, but you are pretty sure there are severally smallish things flitting about over the water, akin to a small cloud of insects. You are reasonably certain they are faeries.
> Go back up to the bridge, cross over it, and continue onward.
>You cross the bridge, and pass through the stone gateway.
>The tunnel flares out into a immense chamber, filled with numerous buildings. Lamps light the gloom, while muted music can be heard echoing throughout. Up above, just at the edge of the light, you swear you can see clouds. You can see a few people milling about up ahead. A street runs along the western edge of town, as well. Obvious exits are North, South, and West.
>_
-
> Head further into town.
> Look for Nue's tavern.
-
> Head further into town.
> Look for Nue's tavern.
>You head North.
>You are in the center of town. There are a lot of food stands here, selling a variety of deep-fried foods. About a third of them seemed closed. The snow on the ground is fairly slushed up from food traffic, but not as much as you would expect for a city this size. A lot of old holiday decorations are hanging about, no one seems to have bothered to take them down. A small handful of oni are milling about, carrying on with their daily lives. A broad throughfare intersects with the one you are on. Obvious exits are North, South, and East.
>If you recall the directions correctly, it should be to the east.
>_
-
> East
-
> East
>You follow the eastern thoroughfare.
>This area can be most easily summed up as the liquor district. There are quite a few bars and breweries to be found, and a few oni here are in advanced states of inebriation; one pair of oni seem to be dancing an impromptu jig. The snow has quite a few places that are unpleasantly colored. A couple of the places seem to have a few brawls going. You can note that a few establishments are closed, and there are more holiday decorations no one has bothered with. A pub called "The Rose and Marmot" seems to be reasonably safe to visit. Up ahead, you see the wall of the cavern, with a long street running north and south along it. A couple of evil spirits flit about overhead. Obvious exits are West, NorthA, NorthB, and South.
>_
-
>Enter "The Rose and Marmot", see if Nue is in there.
>If so, say hello to her!
-
>Enter "The Rose and Marmot", see if Nue is in there.
>If so, say hello to her!
>You head north and enter the establishment!
>The Rose and Marmot has a light crowd, and is fairly quiet. The most violent thing going on is a game of domino on the center table. Though to be fair, it could get nasty if one of the oni grows irate. Over the bar, you notice a poster with the words, "Do not serve" and a picture of a dark-haired woman with a green bow in her hair. Nue sits behind the bar, her head propped up against her hand and looking rather bored. She perks up when she notices you enter.
>You greet Nue. "Hello!" she says. "Come on in, have a seat! Never had a rabbit here before."
>_
-
> Get comfy.
> Ask Nue about everything she knows regarding the current feud.
-
> Get comfy.
> Ask Nue about everything she knows regarding the current feud.
>You get comfy and ask about the current feud. Nue sighs. "It wasn't me, alright? I like Byakuren too much to put her into that kind of deal, and I'm definitely not dumb enough to cross the shrine maiden and make it that easy to pin it on me."
>_
-
>ask Nue why exactly she decided to open up a bar down here.
-
> Ask who that is in the poster and why they're banned.
-
>ask Nue why exactly she decided to open up a bar down here.
>"Well, I'd been stuck down here a long time, so I figured I best get on the oni's good side. And what better want to get on an oni's good side than to liquor them up? And it's kept me in pocket change. Or at least it did until The Felt opened up.
> Ask who that is in the poster and why they're banned.
>"That's Utsuho," says Nue. "Getting her drunk is a very bad idea."
>_
-
> "The Felt"?
-
> "The Felt"?
>Nue nods. "New place that opened up on the northwest side of town. Pretty classy and upscale. A lot of the oni are really into it. I guess it's just a fad, people around here have a way of getting swept up in the latest thing like that. I do worry about it, though."
>_
-
>"What drinks do you sell?"
-
>"What drinks do you sell?"
>"Pretty much anything you need, I got the stuff and the knowhow to make," says Nue. "Hard or soft. Bit early for the former, though."
-
>"Would you like me to check out The Felt for you? Maybe I could help you get some business back!"
-
>"Would you like me to check out The Felt for you? Maybe I could help you get some business back!"
>"I've been there," says Nue. "I suspect I just have to wait it out. I definitely can't outclass the place. I would like to know who runs it, though. She's really secretive."
>_
-
"Hmm... if something is kept secret, there is often a reason why. I think I might try to find out who is running it then, got any info that might help?"
-
> Ask Nue is she knows anyone by the name of "Clever Hans"
-
"Hmm... if something is kept secret, there is often a reason why. I think I might try to find out who is running it then, got any info that might help?"
>"All I can say is that my regulars, and the people I ask, don't know her name," says Nue. "They just call her the boss. But I'm told she comes and goes a lot. It'd be real nice of you if you could find it, though."
> Ask Nue is she knows anyone by the name of "Clever Hans"
"That was me the whole time," she says.
>_
-
"That was me the whole time," she says.
YES, I LOVE THAT
> "I can do that. anything else you might need hel with? Ive been on a sort of 'helping people' streak today"
> Wonder how she could have been a person whom you just now made up
-
> Wonder how she could have been a person whom you just now made up
>In Patchy Quest, Nue told us that's just what she says whenever she's asked about someone she doesn't know.
-
YES, I LOVE THAT
> "I can do that. anything else you might need hel with? Ive been on a sort of 'helping people' streak today"
> Wonder how she could have been a person whom you just now made up
>"Well..." Nue considers for a moment. "Naw, not really."
>You consider her reply, and wonder if she spinning you a yarn?
>_
-
>In Patchy Quest, Nue told us that's just what she says whenever she's asked about someone she doesn't know.
I knew that, I just love it when she says that, and was makeing an in-character action
Reisen couldn't say she loves Nue's thing if she's never heard it befor
> Ask Nue if she is weaving us a fable
-
I knew that, I just love it when she says that, and was makeing an in-character action
Reisen couldn't say she loves Nue's thing if she's never heard it befor
> Ask Nue if she is weaving us a fable
>"Yeah, pretty much," she replies.
-
> "Are you actually admitting to making stuff up? Come on, you know I don't really have a good reason to believe you're not the one behind Reimu being pissed off if so."
-
> "By the way, have you been turning into a rabbit recently? There have been reports of a rabbit getting drunk with Letty, Hina, and Rumia, and we don't think it was one of ours."
-
> "Are you actually admitting to making stuff up? Come on, you know I don't really have a good reason to believe you're not the one behind Reimu being pissed off if so."
>"Just that part," says Nue frowning. "And you have a great reason, I don't want to get beaten up by Reimu or make Byakuren sad. That's a whole lot more than Reimu and Suika have for not just using it as an excuse to try to take out competition. If I thought like that, I would have done something to The Felt already."
> "By the way, have you been turning into a rabbit recently? There have been reports of a rabbit getting drunk with Letty, Hina, and Rumia, and we don't think it was one of ours."
>"It wasn't me," says Nue. "That does sound like fun, though... Thanks for the idea!"
>_
-
> Go look for Tewi and the other Reisen.
-
>"It wasn't me," says Nue. "That does sound like fun, though... Thanks for the idea!"
>AAAGGHGHGAGHAGGHHHH
>Go off to The Felt
-
> Go look for Tewi and the other Reisen.
>There's a whole lot of places to look.
>AAAGGHGHGAGHAGGHHHH
>Go off to The Felt
>You hope you didn't make things worse...
>You only have a vague idea where it is.
>_
-
> "Can you tell me how to get to The Felt?"
> "Oh, and Satori's as well please?"
-
> "Also, can you tell us exactly what those little UFOs do? Surely you must know it was one of them that really kicked this whole mess off."
> Why did we not ask about this until now? We are far too easily distracted by shiny things.
-
> "Can you tell me how to get to The Felt?"
> "Oh, and Satori's as well please?"
>"Go west, back to the food stalls, then head north. Then you go west again, and then south. You can't miss it."
>"Just take the road along the wall to the north, you can't miss it."
> "Also, can you tell us exactly what those little UFOs do? Surely you must know it was one of them that really kicked this whole mess off."
> Why did we not ask about this until now? We are far too easily distracted by shiny things.
>"They're really just what the seeds of non-identification looked like when I applied them to the parts of the flying arc," Nue explains. "I thought they were cute-looking, is all, and it was fun to watch everyone chase after little toys. I mean, I could could make more of them, but I swear that it wasn't me!"
>_
-
> "Even if you weren't responsible for the UFO's presence at the Hakurei Shrine, do you know how it got there? Everyone I've asked - including your Byakuren - has pointed me to you for information about them, and I believe the one Tenshi discovered is the key to this whole mystery. If you're sincere in your devotion to Byakuren, you'll tell me all you can. I wouldn't want to be a part of your group if a culprit can't be found."
> "And if that weren't enough to convince you, there's something else. You mentioned wanting to please the oni in opening this bar? Reimu's oni friend has already started dealing out vigilante justice to your group. Murasa was on the receiving end of it this morning. Doesn't look like this oni's too happy with you lot. This can be ended once we find out who's responsible for that UFO."
-
Note to other voices: I have one other theory about who's responsible for the UFO if it isn't Nue. Please don't leave the bar before I get back. :(
-
> "Even if you weren't responsible for the UFO's presence at the Hakurei Shrine, do you know how it got there? Everyone I've asked - including your Byakuren - has pointed me to you for information about them, and I believe the one Tenshi discovered is the key to this whole mystery. If you're sincere in your devotion to Byakuren, you'll tell me all you can. I wouldn't want to be a part of your group if a culprit can't be found."
> "And if that weren't enough to convince you, there's something else. You mentioned wanting to please the oni in opening this bar? Reimu's oni friend has already started dealing out vigilante justice to your group. Murasa was on the receiving end of it this morning. Doesn't look like this oni's too happy with you lot. This can be ended once we find out who's responsible for that UFO."
>"Yeah, yeah, I know all about Suika." says Nue, shakig her head and sighing. "Look, I don't know what they are, but they aren't mine. The seeds are still with me. I don't know what Tenshi found, but it wasn't mine! Okay? I've told Reimu! I even showed her. She doesn't believe me."
>_
-
>Examine Nue
>"I've heard you can turn into a shiny orb and summon zombie fairies, is that true?"
-
>"You're absolutely certain no one else had access to those seeds? Not even temporary?"
-
>Examine Nue
>"I've heard you can turn into a shiny orb and summon zombie fairies, is that true?"
>Nue is a dark-haired woman of average height in a plain black dress. She would look wholly unremarkable if not for her crazy wings. She is clearly a bit upset by the current line of questioning.
>"The former, yeah," she says. "The faeries were just there. The ship was down here before the geyser knocked it loose."
>"You're absolutely certain no one else had access to those seeds? Not even temporary?"
>"Well..." says Nue, frowning. "I know they're all with me. But sometimes I stay at the shop with everyone else. I guess someone could have possibly gotten to them while I was asleep... But I really doubt it! They wouldn't know how to use them! And I still have them all, so it couldn't have been all the saucers!"
>_
-
>"Hmm... in that case, would it mean whoever is behind this UFO mess actually had to make some UFOs, or had them made by someone else?"
>Ponder any possible connection between the unknown rabbit and the UFOs. They could both be potential spies, after all.
-
>"Hmm... in that case, would it mean whoever is behind this UFO mess actually had to make some UFOs, or had them made by someone else?"
>Ponder any possible connection between the unknown rabbit and the UFOs. They could both be potential spies, after all.
>Nue nods. "Yeah."
>You ponder the possible connections based on what you learned today. Aside from the unknown rabbit being sneaky and both of these things being mysteries, you don't note any connections in your findings. They are awfully coincidental, though...
>_
-
> "Do you know where Ichirin is? I've met everyone else in your band except for her, and Byakuren doesn't even know her whereabouts."
-
> "Do you know where Ichirin is? I've met everyone else in your band except for her, and Byakuren doesn't even know her whereabouts."
>"She told me she's been hanging around the ice city," says Nue.
>_
-
> "The ice city? Where is that?"
-
> "The ice city? Where is that?"
>"It's on the western lake shore," says Nue, "You can't miss it."
>Oh, that's what that thing was...
>_
-
> Thank Nue and depart.
> Head to The Felt first
-
> Thank Nue and depart.
> Head to The Felt first
"You're welcome," she says. You suspect there is an undercurrent of "Buy something, next time!" to it as well.
>You follow Nue's directions, head back to the food market, then head north to a general market that seems to deal in mundane goods. Going west, you pass by a block of houses, then take a turn to the south.
>You enter what seems to be an older section of the section of the city. The buildings themselves look rather old and broken down, but the streets and smaller things like windows seem to be in good repair. It seems the oni are in the process of rebuilding it. Most notable is a huge building, large enough to rival Eientei in size. A large sign with fancy letters declares it to be The Felt; you get the feeling that if this were on the moon, the sign would be lit up with neon. Several sets of glass and steel doors beneath the sign allow entry. There are quite a few oni here milling about and going about their business. The babble of conversation is pretty loud. Obvious exists are North and South.
>_
-
> Head inside.
-
> Head inside.
>You enter The Felt
>Inside, the babble of the crowd is quickly overrun by schmalzy jazz music. There are oni everywhere, many of the dressed in evening gowns, suits, ornate dresses, and such. Your own clothing fits in pretty well. There are also some eastern style clothes here and there, but you get the feeling these are considered rather gauche. The immediate area seems to be primarily a restaurant, with booths and tables everywhere; you don't even want to try to count all the martini glasses about that the clientele have put to use. Up ahead is a dance floor, where a brass and string band consisting of Lunasa, Merlin, and several suited oni are providing the music to more dancers than you can easily estimate. Off to the side, you can see a sizable game room and casino. A loud, shrill laugh echos from one of the corner booths of the dining section as you look around. Obvious exits are North, South, and West.
>_
-
> Approach the stage where Merlin and Lunasa are playing.
> Ask to see Lyrica
-
> Approach the stage where Merlin and Lunasa are playing.
> Ask to see Lyrica
|
>You head west.
>You approach the dance floor. There and dozens of oni here doing a variety of strange dances, many of which seem to involve a blatant disregard for the safety of their partner. You notice Iku is among them, her typical pink garb replaced with a black satin dress and shawl.
>You work your way around the edge of the dance floor and approach the stage. You ask to see Lyrica, but it doesn't seem like either of them have noticed you yet. Merlin is probably too busy to talk anyways.
>_
-
> Walk back to the dance floor, and work our way towards Iku.
> Dance a little so we don't stick out too much.
> Greet Iku once we reach her.
-
> Walk back to the dance floor, and work our way towards Iku.
> Dance a little so we don't stick out too much.
> Greet Iku once we reach her.
>You work your way toward Iku, mimicking a few of the less silly-looking dance moves the oni are doing.
>"Oh, hello!" says Iku, as you approach her. Then she suddenly grabs your hand and gives you a twirl. "What brings you down this way, dearie?"
>_
-
>Dance along with Iku
>"Nue mentioned this place to me! I thought I'd come see what all the fuss was about, eh? After seeing it... its pretty amazing. I should really congratulate whoever runs this place, do you have any idea who it is?
-
>Dance along with Iku
>"Nue mentioned this place to me! I thought I'd come see what all the fuss was about, eh? After seeing it... its pretty amazing. I should really congratulate whoever runs this place, do you have any idea who it is?
>You follow along as well as you can. Iku is a pretty good leader, it's not hard to follow along.
>"Isn't it?" says Iku, as she leads you into a dip. "Never met the boss myself, I only started coming recently, you know. I hear she goes above ground much of the time."
>_
-
>"Anyone seen Parsee lately?"
-
>"Anyone seen Parsee lately?"
>"I think she's over with Yuugi," says Iku, after leading your through a spin. "They come here a lot,"
>_
-
> Thank Iku and spin yourself out of the dance.
> Make your way towards Yuugi and Parsee.
-
> Thank Iku and spin yourself out of the dance.
> Make your way towards Yuugi and Parsee.
>You thank Iku, and disentangle yourself. "No problem," she says, "Thanks for the dance!"
>The Felt is a big place, and you only have a vague idea what either of them look like. Where will you search?
>_
-
> Start by the bar.
-
> Start by the bar.
>You start by the bar. It is, as you would expect, quite crowded. Enough so that there are no seats, to discourage people from loitering. Still, there's quite a few people here, standing at or leaning against the bar and making idle conversation and bobbing along to the music. The barkeeper, or rather barkeepers, are a few faeries in white shirts and ties. Presumably the boss doesn't trust oni not to take too much of the stock. You don't see anyone that resembles the descriptions of Parsee or Yuugi that you've heard. You're pretty sure Parsee wouldn't be here anyways, there's only oni at the bar.
>_
-
> Move to the casino.
>> Roulette table
-
> Move to the casino.
>> Roulette table
>You head west, into the casino.
>The music is a bit muted here. Looking around, you can see a number of card tables and dice near the middle of the room. Off to the edges are a number of billiards tables. In the back, you can see some roulette tables and the chip exchange. The crowd here isn't so thick as elsewhere, but most of the tables are occupied. The babble of light conversation mixes with the spinning of roulette wheels and falling dice, and the occasional cheer or cry of dismay as the cards are shown.
>You look around the roulette tables, and see no signs of your quarry. You do note a teal-haired Youkai in a matching suit, carrying a purple umbrella with a mouth and a long tongue at one of the roulette tables.
>_
-
> Approach that youkai from behind, quietly.
> Contemplate scaring her, but then move beside her and greet her.
-
> Approach that youkai from behind, quietly.
> Contemplate scaring her, but then move beside her and greet her.
>You are pretty easily able to sneak up on her, given the noise and distractions. But you decide not to surprise her, and sidle up beside her. She still starts a bit, and returns your greeting with a somewhat nervous, "Hello."
>_
-
> "I'm sorry if I startled you, but it''s nice to find a youkai in among the oni."
> Introduce ourselves
> "It's hard not to notice, but that is a wonderful umbrella you have there."
-
> "I'm sorry if I startled you, but it''s nice to find a youkai in among the oni."
> Introduce ourselves
> "It's hard not to notice, but that is a wonderful umbrella you have there."
>"Oh, don't worry about it," she says. "I'm Kogasa."
>You introduce yourself and compliment her umbrella. She smiles.
>_
-
> "Ah, you must be the Kogasa we've heard about in relation to Byakuren and her followers."
> "You look quite spiffied up. Do you work here?"
-
> "Ah, you must be the Kogasa we've heard about in relation to Byakuren and her followers."
> "You look quite spiffied up. Do you work here?"
>"Uh, I'm kinda Nue's friend," says Kogasa, "But I really don't mess with her other friends much."
>"Nope, just playing the tables."
>The ball falls into red 23. Dealer gives Kogasa a few chips. Kogasa hands them back to the dealer. "Red," she says. The dealer then looks to you.
>_
-
> Abstain for now since have any chips.
> Mentally put all on 14
-
> Abstain for now since have any chips.
> Mentally put all on 14
>You abstain, but play along in your head.
>The ball lands on 11, black. Kogasa winces.
-
> "Damn, I lost too. Gonna try again?"
-
> "Damn, I lost too. Gonna try again?"
>"In a little bit," she says. "Maybe I'll try some blackjack first. So, do you play soft or hard?"
>_
-
> "Hard, I like to push my luck. Let me get some chips and I'll join you."
> Head for the cashier, keeping a look-out for anyone non-Oni, and Yuugi
-
> "Hard, I like to push my luck. Let me get some chips and I'll join you."
> Head for the cashier, keeping a look-out for anyone non-Oni, and Yuugi
>You head to the chip exchange. The oni at the counter nods to you. "Hard chips or soft, dollface? One ☼ to the hard chip."
>_
-
> So, 100 hard chips for 100 ☼? Is that right?
> "What's the minimum for the tables?"
-
> So, 100 hard chips for 100 ☼? Is that right?
> "What's the minimum for the tables?"
>Unless the oni is talking in code, you are pretty sure that's right.
>"We don't bother with those kinds of things," says the oni. "Just go have a ball."
>_
-
> Exchange 100 ☼ for now, then go back to Kogasa.
-
> Exchange 100 ☼ for now, then go back to Kogasa.
>You Obtain: 100 Hard Chips
>You return to Kogasa, who is loitering near a blackjack table. She gives you a smile and a nod.
>_
-
> "Lead the way."
-
> "Lead the way."
>Kogasa leads toward an empty blackjack table.
>"Place your bets," says the oni dealer, as she starts to shuffle the deck of cards.
>_
-
> Ooh, single deck blackjack?
> Start with 5 chips for now.
-
> Ooh, single deck blackjack?
> Start with 5 chips for now.
>You place five chips.
>Kogasa places five as well. You note that hers are marked with an S, while yours are marked with an H.
>The bets are taken, and the dealer gives you two cards. A 4 of Ghosts and an ace of Butterflies. Kogasa gets a Jack of Ghosts and a Queen of Ghosts. She chooses to stand.
>_
-
Fucking Gensokyo decks. I like that it won't let us play soft.
> Hit
-
Fucking Gensokyo decks. I like that it won't let us play soft.
> Hit
>You get an Ace of Stars.
>_
-
> "You know, it occurs to me that Gensokyo rules might be different from Lunarian rules, and I haven't played since back before the big move. How do you folks define hard and soft?"
-
> "You know, it occurs to me that Gensokyo rules might be different from Lunarian rules, and I haven't played since back before the big move. How do you folks define hard and soft?"
>"Simple," says the dealer. "If you're talking about the game, aces can be 1 or 11. You've got a soft 16 right now. If you're talking about chips, hard chips are worth money. Soft chips, like she's got," the dealer nods toward Kogasa, "are just for fun. You only get 30 of those a day, though. And it's zeroed out every day at midnight. Simple."
>_
-
> "I see, thank you for that explanation."
> Hit
-
> "I see, thank you for that explanation."
> Hit
>The dealer nods.
>You get a 3 of Ghosts.
>_
-
> "Yeah, your chip system is one I hadn't heard of before. Figured something was up from those Ss and Hs. That unique to this joint?"
> Turn to Kogasa.
> "If you don't mind my saying so, you have some pretty snazzy threads for a soft chip player."
-
> If we can play it soft, stand on 19.
>> Else, hit on 9.
-
> "Yeah, your chip system is one I hadn't heard of before. Figured something was up from those Ss and Hs. That unique to this joint?"
> Turn to Kogasa.
> "If you don't mind my saying so, you have some pretty snazzy threads for a soft chip player."
>The dealer nods. "Yep. The Felt's not about fleecing if they don't want in, we like people to play."
>Kogasa grins. "I won it a couple weeks ago!"
> If we can play it soft, stand on 19.
>> Else, hit on 9.
>You stand.
>The dealer plays her own cards. A two of stars, and a nine of butterflies. She hits, and gets a two of ghosts. she hits again and gets a Queen of Cucumbers. "Dealer Busts," she announces, and gives you each five chips.
>You obtain: 5 Hard Chips
>_
-
> In for 10 next hand
-
> "Very nice. How'd you win it?"
-
> In for 10 next hand
>Apparently Kogasa has the same idea! The dealer shuffles.
>You are dealt: An Ace of Ghosts and a Three of Cucumbers. Kogasa gets: A Queen of Cucumbers and an Eight of Ghosts. She chooses to stand.
> "Very nice. How'd you win it?"
>"Whoever gets the most chips at the end of the day gets the prize," Kogasa says. "The prize is always some random thing. That day, it was a free suit from a tailor! It was so nice, I always felt underdressed before."
>_
-
> Hit
-
> "What's the prize today?"
-
> Hit
>You get a Ten of Stars.
> "What's the prize today?"
>"You don't find out til it's time to shut down for the night and they award it," Kogasa says.
>_
-
14~
> Hit
-
14~
> Hit
>You get a Five of Ghosts.
>_
-
> Stand
-
> Stand
>You stand.
>The dealer gets a Seven of Butterflies and an Ace of Butterflies. She hits, and receives and Empress of Butterflies. She stands and announces, "Player one wins, Player two pushes."
>You Obtain: Ten Hard Chips
>_
-
> How did we push with 19 against 18?
-
> Never mind, I'm stupid
-
> In for 25
-
> In for 25
>You play 25 chips down! Kogasa places seven.
>You are dealt a Jack of Stars and an Eight of Ghosts. Kogasa is given an Empress of Ghosts and an Eight of Butterflies. She elects to stand.
>_
-
Damn, I wanted one chance to double-down, oh well.
> Stand
-
Damn, I wanted one chance to double-down, oh well.
> Stand
>You stand.
>The dealer recieves: A Jack of Butterflies and a Seven of Stars. She hits, and receives an Empress of Butterflies. "Dealer busts!" she announces.
>You obtain: 25 Hard Chips.
>_
-
> Tip the dealer 5 and cash-out.
-
>You give the dealer 5☼, and exchange your 140 Hard Chips for 140☼, feeling rather pleased with things.
>Kogasa seems to be staying at the table.
>_
-
> "I'm impressed, I never thought there'd be a place this nice somewhere other than the moon. Who owns it?"
-
> "I'm impressed, I never thought there'd be a place this nice somewhere other than the moon. Who owns it?"
>"The boss," says the dealer. "That's all I know about her. Other than she has the best sense of style I've ever seen."
>_
-
> "Now hold on, I don't mean to be rude, but I like to think of myself as a pretty snappy dresser as well. What does she usually wear?"
-
> "Now hold on, I don't mean to be rude, but I like to think of myself as a pretty snappy dresser as well. What does she usually wear?"
>"Something like Umbrellas here," says the oni as she deals Kogasa another hand. "Only a lot fancier. And not to say anything against you, she's got you beat. She's got all of us beat. She's also got a mask. Says it's so people don't bother her outside."
>_
-
> "Damn, fancy and mysterious. Sounds like I've been outclassed. Is there any way I can meet with her? Someone like her sounds like someone I just gotta see."
-
> "Damn, fancy and mysterious. Sounds like I've been outclassed. Is there any way I can meet with her? Someone like her sounds like someone I just gotta see."
>"Talk with Yuugi," says the dealer, "She handles things when the boss is away. She's probably over in her favorite corner booth."
>_
-
> "I'll do that, thank you. Can you point me in her direction?"
> Make your way over to Yuugi.
-
> "I'll do that, thank you. Can you point me in her direction?"
> Make your way over to Yuugi.
>The Dealer jerks a thumb toward the east corner of the restaurant area.
>You head in that direction. You see a large, single-horned blonde oni at the corner booth. She wears a low-cut cocktail dress, which would look quite stunning if she didn't have her feet kicked up on the table, and her hair pulled up into a bun. She has her arm thrown around a smaller blonde youkai wearing a fedora, who is leaning against her heavily. Both have rather flushed faces. "So there she is," says the oni. "all covered in hops, and she looks at me and says 'Yuugs! What do I do now?!'" The youkai starts cackling, and the oni continues, "And I say to her, 'First thing is, you don't call me Yuugs or I'll beat you like a drum!" Then they both break out laughing.
>_
-
> Remove glasses if we're wearing them.
> Interrupt them.
> "Well then, you must be Yuugi. Makes my job easier."
> Sit down as opposite them as we can, otherwise stand across from them at the table.
> "Pardon the interruption, but I'll keep this brief. My name is Reisen and I'm told that you're the one to talk to about seeing the boss."
> If they're unfazed by our eyes, discreetly prepare a spellcard.
-
> Remove glasses if we're wearing them.
> Interrupt them.
> "Well then, you must be Yuugi. Makes my job easier."
> Sit down as opposite them as we can, otherwise stand across from them at the table.
> "Pardon the interruption, but I'll keep this brief. My name is Reisen and I'm told that you're the one to talk to about seeing the boss."
> If they're unfazed by our eyes, discreetly prepare a spellcard.
>You remove your glasses, and invite yourself in on the conversation. You are able to sit down across from them. Neither of them seem particularly disturbed by your eyes. "Damn girl," says the youkai, slurring a little, "you got some peepers!"
>"Yeah, I'm Yuugi," says the oni, as she takes a sip of her martini. "You need something?"
>You explain your case. "What you need with the boss?" asks Yuugi. "I can get you in, but you gotta have a reason."
>You discretely dip a hand into your pocket and grab a spell card. Should worse come to worst, you'll be ready.
>_
-
> "Well, I heard she has a reputation for being a faaaaancy dresser. Back up on the surface, that's what I'm known for. All I'd like to do is get a look at what kind of competition I have down here. She is responsible for this place, and what a place, so I know she has some great taste; I'd just like to meet her. Think that can be arranged?"
-
> "Well, I heard she has a reputation for being a faaaaancy dresser. Back up on the surface, that's what I'm known for. All I'd like to do is get a look at what kind of competition I have down here. She is responsible for this place, and what a place, so I know she has some great taste; I'd just like to meet her. Think that can be arranged?"
>"Oh, okay," says Yuugi. "Yeah, I'll put in word for you. Just that the boss doesn't like people asking her for money and stuff, since she don't zogging make much. She'll be back some time after noon, probably."
>The youkai, whom you presume is Parsee, begins to snore softly. Yuugi beams down at her.
>_
-
> "Oh no, this isn't about money, don't worry. And thanks, I trust you'll still be here later today?"
-
> "Oh no, this isn't about money, don't worry. And thanks, I trust you'll still be here later today?"
>"Might be," she says. "If not, I'll tell one of the others to show you around. Don't worry about it."
>_
-
> "Alright then, thank you."
> Put glasses back on
> Leave The Felt and head to The Palace of Earth Spirits.
-
> "Alright then, thank you."
> Put glasses back on
> Leave The Felt and head to The Palace of Earth Spirits.
>"No problem," says Yuugi. "Bring that doctor everyone says you're sweet on next time!"
>You replace your glasses and leave The Felt, retracing your steps back to the market. While Nue gave you different directions, you're pretty sure you can see it from there, so you just head east.
>You come to a large, imposing sort of manor that looks more like a fortress than any kind of home. The walls are made of stone and set with stained glass windows. Flat roofs give the the structure something of a boxy feel, and neatly hide any hints of architectural beauty. Moss covers the outer walls, add some much needed color and texture to an otherwise drab and dreary place. Snow stands upon the room as well, taking some of the edge away. The way to the door has been neatly shoveled. Obvious exits are West and North and South.
>_
-
> Quests and examine
> Inventory and examine
> Knock on the front door.
-
> Quests and examine
> Inventory and examine
> Knock on the front door.
>Your Current Quests Are:
>Revenge of the Buddha vs Yamato
>The Hakurei Shrine and Byakuren's group are having a nasty misunderstanding involving UFOs and spying.
>Prismrivers Comeback?
>Patchouli asked you to look into the Prismrivers reuniting.
>Dog Training
>Patchouli asked you to persuade Satori to send her more dog-training advice.
>Alice's Hookup
>You've been recruited to help Alice find a special someone, or at least a friend.
>Mystery of the Rabbit
>There's been a rabbit breaking curfew and drinking. Perhaps even worse?
>Cooperative Research
>Patchouli asked you to talk to Eirin about investigating a mystery/
>The Great Ghost Burglary
>Hakugyokorou attacked Scarlet Devil Mansion out of the blue, you've been asked to help settle the score by robbing Hakugyokorou of a valuable.
>What is a Felt?
>The owner of The Felt is hiding her identity, just who is she?
>You Self-Appointed Goals are:
>Prove That I'm Not a Useless Rabbit, Good Only For My Sex Appeal
>People have been talking, you gotta do something about it.
>Huggle Kaguya
>It's going to be one of those days, you're going to need a lot of hugs.
>Invent a Base Six Pair of Pants
>You don't know what the faeries were talking about when they mentioned this, but it needs to exist.
>Your Inventory contains:
>Dress Suit w/ Stockings (Wore as clothes)
>A professional-looking business suit, blouse, knee-length skirt, and doubled up stockings. What could be classier?
>Cresent Pin (Worn as accessory)
>You wear this to remind you of home.
>Wave Sign: Mind Shaker
>A spellcard where you use your abilities to make twin pattern of bullets seem to go in directions they are not.
>Visionary Wave: Mind Blowing
>A more dense pattern following the same principle as Wave Sign: Mind Shaker. Reality will be terribly distorted to the victim.
>Lunatic Sign: Visionary Tuning
>You disalign the wavelengths of a complex maze of bullets to try and trick your opponent into moving recklessly.
>Lunatic Gaze: Illusion Seeker
>Much like Lunatic Sign: Visionary Tuning, with a more aggressive pattern. It takes all of your concentration to use this well.
>Loafing Sign: Idling Wave
>This attack surrounds your target with bullets, and distorts them, forcing them to make fast decisions to avoid being caught in the middle.
>Indolence: Mind Stopper
>It takes a lot of concentration to correctly apply this card and keep up the stream of bullets.
>Spread Sign: Invisible Full Moon
>Overlapping dense circular patterns of bullets, and alternating their wavelengths to force the victim to see one or other. It is simple, yet highly effective against the unwary.
>Lunar Eyes: Tele-Mesmerism
>This is your ultimate attack, hitting an opponent with two huge waves of bullets, then shifting them as much as you can. It will leave you with a nasty headache and blurred vision.
>Pair of Tinted Glasses.
>These wire-rimmed glasses have tinted lenses; they also make an odd translucent shadow on the ground when light shines through them.
>Beautiful Seashell
>An exquisite cowrie shell.
>Dark Blue Backpack
>A large backpack, perfect for stuffing full of things.
>Faerie Ribbon
>A simple ribbon of cream-white silk given to you by a faerie.
>Tiger-Striped Handkerchief (worn as accessory)
>A handkerchief with a tiger stripe pattern.
>Raw Lamprey Fillet
>Exactly what it sounds like, wrapped in some paper.
>Bottle of Wind
>A Blue Bottle blessed by Kanako to contain a windstorm.
>635☼
>This is 635☼
>1/60 Scale Valsione Model
>This seems to be a model of a long-haired young woman in armor. But if the scale is correct, she'd be several stories tall.
>Masterfully Crafted Wakazashi
>A superbly crafted wakazashi. It seems a little familiar.
>Red Gem
>This is an oval-shaped gem, you do not know what kind of gem it is, or if it is just glass.
>Silver Necklace
>A simple, unadorned silver necklace, it seems like an understated accessory.
>Silver Medal (Worn as Accessory)
>This decoration seems to have an enchantment to impart a measure of mental fortitude on the wearer.
>Metal Shard
>A dull golden shard of a broken sword blade. It apparently had mystifying powers at one point.
>You knock on the front door of the Palace of the Earth Spirits.
>After a moment, the door opens and Lyrica pokes her head out. "Oh, hi!" she says.
>_
-
Seriously? No one in 12 hours?
> Introduce ourselves
> "I'm here on behalf of Patchouli Knowledge, may I speak with Satori?"
-
Seriously? No one in 12 hours?
> Introduce ourselves
> "I'm here on behalf of Patchouli Knowledge, may I speak with Satori?"
>"Yeah, I guess," says Lyrica with a shrug. She opens the door and steps aside. "C'mon in."
>She looks back, and says, "Hey, one of you guys go tell Satori that Reisen's here to see her."
>_
-
> "Thank you Lyrica."
> "So... How've things been going with your sisters?"
-
> "Thank you Lyrica."
> "So... How've things been going with your sisters?"
>"Eh, not too bad," she says. "We've been working on a new jam. Cirno comes by every so often and tries to help, but it's winter and she's got things to do with Letty. But nowadays, they're always at The Felt, so we're kinda going slowly now."
>She looks back into the Palace itself, and frowns. "This is why no one likes you guys, you know," she says to the unseen persons.
>A gray cat with white paws slinks around Lyrica, looks up at you a moment, then walks past you.
>_
>_
-
>Assess Lyrica and the cat's catness rating
>Pet the kitty if the sharp claws of death don't appear to want to claw us.
-
>Assess Lyrica and the cat's catness rating
>Pet the kitty if the sharp claws of death don't appear to want to claw us.
>The cat is easy, it is 96/96. Lyrica, you think, hovers around 25/96.
>You stoop down and pet the cat as he walks past. He arches his back and seems to enjoy it for a moment, before moving on and heading down the street.
>_
-
> "I see. That's good news."
-
> "I see. That's good news."
>"Having all the animals around is kinda weird, though," Lyrica continues. "But Satori's really nice. Although she makes us clean up everything. So, you coming in or not?"
>_
-
> "Ah. Yeah I am."
> Head inside.
-
> "Ah. Yeah I am."
> Head inside.
>You head inside.
>You are in a large, empty hall; easily large enough to hold hundreds of people. Two lines of columns create an implied corridor down the middle of the hall, with a red carpet set between them. The floor is made of carefully tessellated black and white tiles. Stained glass windows allow in the light from the city, casting multi-colored light everywhere. It is a little chilly for being indoors. Here and there, a few cats laze about, and you can see a sparrow perched on one of the doorframes. Obvious exits are North, South, East, and West
-
> Ask Lyrica where satori is.
> Also ask for the whereabouts of Utsuho and Rin just for the hell of it.
-
> Ask Lyrica where satori is.
> Also ask for the whereabouts of Utsuho and Rin just for the hell of it.
>"She should be up her in room," says Lyrica, "Don't think she's left all day. I was asking these lazy jerks," she gives a look at the gathered animals, "to tell her she's got company, but they're too busy being good for nothing. So I guess you get to invite yourself. Just take the hall up ahead, go up the stairs to the right, then down the hall. It's got a sign."
>One of the cats meows. You don't understand animals at all, but you're pretty sure that meant something akin to "Go fuck yourself."
>"Utsuho? She's asleep," says Lyrica. "Came home late last night from The Felt with a couple oni, they laughed it up for awhile before she conked out. And Orin, she's out somewhere. Probably prowling around somewhere."
>_
-
> "Thanks Lyrica."
> Head for Satori's room.
-
> "Thanks Lyrica."
> Head for Satori's room.
>"No problem," says Lyrica.
>You follow Lyrica's directions, finding a small hallway opening a courtyard up ahead, and stairs to the left and right. You take the stairs to the right.
>You come to a long hallway. To the south side, on your right, you can see a few doors. To the left are a few windows that let you see into the courtyard below. One door in particularly catches your eyes, as it has a little wooden sign dangling from it that says "Satori's Room" in colorful mismatched letters, and bears child-like pictures of kittens and puppies. Obvious exits are SouthA, SouthB, SouthC, and West.
>_
-
>HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG
-
> Pick yourself up off of the floor.
> Knock on the door.
> "Satori? Lyrica said you'd be in here. May I come in?"
-
>HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG
>You have a moment of cuteness overload. You wonder if you could convince Eirin to use one of those for her chambers?
> Pick yourself up off of the floor.
> Knock on the door.
> "Satori? Lyrica said you'd be in here. May I come in?"
>You put your mind back to the task at hand.
>You knock on the door and ask to come in. There is no reply.
>_
-
>Maybe Satori is the owner of The Felt. Although... they said the person spends most time aboveground. It could be mean to mislead, however... eh. Who knows?
>Go inside the room anyway.
-
>Think about going inside the room anyway. Don't do so yet
>I think Rumia is the owner of The Felt, actually.
-
>I think Rumia is the owner of The Felt, actually.
>I really doubt Rumia is smart enough to do that kind of thing. And I mean REALLY doubt. It probably isn't Satori either, though. Not that its ruling out many people to say such.
-
>I really doubt Rumia is smart enough to do that kind of thing. And I mean REALLY doubt. It probably isn't Satori either, though. Not that its ruling out many people to say such.
>Secret things. Snazzy Dresser. I get the impression it is actually Rumia, somehow. And remember, Yuugi said she wasn't making much money. A more competant owner would make it more profitable.
-
>Maybe Satori is the owner of The Felt. Although... they said the person spends most time aboveground. It could be mean to mislead, however... eh. Who knows?
>Go inside the room anyway.
>You head inside of Satori's room.
>It is a spacious, and fairly well appointed room. A large four-poster bed stands in the middle of it, with a half-dozen plushies set on it. There are quite a few portraits of various animals hanging on the walls, as well as portraits of what you assume are Utsuho, Orin, and Koishi. A dumbwaiter shaft opening discretely stands at the corner, and a couple of windows open the east side of the room to some outside light from the Ancient City, and afford a lovely view. A couple of large wardrobes take up wall space not used by the potraits, as does a large vanity. Obvious exits are North.
>_
-
>Well, whatever Satori is doing, she sure doesn't want Lyrica finding out.
>And good point about those Secret Items, they did include a mask after all.
-
> Satori's gonna be mad if she catches us snooping around in here. But still...
> Examine plushies
> Examine dumbwaiter shaft
-
> Satori's gonna be mad if she catches us snooping around in here.
Satori WILL find out. You know, mind reading and everything?
...Unless Reisen finds a way to forget that she ever went into Satori's room...
-
> Satori's gonna be mad if she catches us snooping around in here. But still...
> Examine plushies
> Examine dumbwaiter shaft
>Not like she won't know anyways...
>You examine the plushies. They seem to be cast in the likeness of several residents of Gensokyo. You recognize three of them from the portraits on the wall. There is also a Reimu, a Marisa, and a blonde woman in a brown dress.
>You examine the dumbwaiter. You recall seeing these when you visited Scarlet Devil Mansion during the Weather incident a while back. Given that the Palace of the Earth Spirits is also supposed to be fairly old, it makes sense they would be here, too. The shaft is about as dark and gloomy as you would expect. You think you can hear something inside it.
>_
-
> X-ray vision!... Okay, maybe not.
-
> X-ray vision!... Okay, maybe not.
>If you could do that, you wouldn't be in this mess.
>_
-
I got lost after Reisen went to The Felt, so I have to quit here.
-
>Peek inside
-
I think Renko owns The Felt.
> Call down the dumbwaiter for Satori.
>> If no answer, return to the courtyard.
-
>Peek inside
>You peek inside the dumbwaiter shaft. It is exactly as dark as you expected; especially with your glasses.
>You hear a small voice call "Help..."
> Call down the dumbwaiter for Satori.
>> If no answer, return to the courtyard.
>You call down for Satori. "It's me..." the voice answers, sounding raspy, "I'm stuck..."
>_
-
>"How far down are you?"
>Take off those glasses while you're looking inside here
-
>"How far down are you?"
>Take off those glasses while you're looking inside here
>"Not sure," answers Satori softly. "About halfway, maybe?"
>You removed your dark glasses, and are able to see significantly better. With a bit of moving about to let light in, you can she the top of Satori's head about ten feet down.
>_
-
>"Hmm... do you think it would be easier to get you back up, or to get you to go down towards another exit?"
-
>"Hmm... do you think it would be easier to get you back up, or to get you to go down towards another exit?"
>"I got stuck going down," she says. "So I guess getting me back up."
>_
-
> Look around the room for something that might help pull her up.
-
>Inventory
>Look around Satori's room for anything that might help us get her back up
-
>Inventory
>Look around Satori's room for anything that might help us get her back up
>Inventory
>Look around Satori's room for anything that might help us get her back up
>You search the room for things to help Satori pull herself up. There are the sheets and comforter on the bed, and the curtains on the window. Theoretically, the wardrobes also contain things you could dangle down. The question, really, is whether or not any of them can support Satori's weight.
>Your Inventory contains:
>Dress Suit w/ Stockings (Wore as clothes)
>Cresent Pin (Worn as accessory)
>Wave Sign: Mind Shaker
>Visionary Wave: Mind Blowing
>Lunatic Sign: Visionary Tuning
>Lunatic Gaze: Illusion Seeker
>Loafing Sign: Idling Wave
>Indolence: Mind Stopper
>Spread Sign: Invisible Full Moon
>Lunar Eyes: Tele-Mesmerism
>Pair of Tinted Glasses (Worn as eyewear)
>Beautiful Seashell
>Dark Blue Backpack
>Faerie Ribbon
>Tiger-Striped Handkerchief
>Raw Lamprey Fillet
>Bottle of Wind
>635☼
>1/60 Scale Valsione Model
>Masterfully Crafted Wakazashi
>Silver Necklace.
>Red Gem
>Silver Medal (Worn as accessory)
>Metal Shard
>_
-
> Tie the sheets and the comforter from the bed together to make a makeshift rope. These are probably the strongest things for this that's available right now.
-
> Tie the sheets and the comforter from the bed together to make a makeshift rope. These are probably the strongest things for this that's available right now.
>You pull the sheets and comforter from the bed and tie them together as well as you can. Then you lower them down the dumbwaiter shaft.
>"Huh?" She says. Then you feel a tug. "Okay, I got it."
>_
-
> Pull her up as carefully as possible.
-
> Pull her up as carefully as possible.
>You pull carefully. This does not seem to have much effect. It is not terribly surprising, she could just fly out if she wasn't wedged in well.
>_
-
> "Satori, do you have anything in the kitchen that could act as a lubricant?"
-
> "Satori, do you have anything in the kitchen that could act as a lubricant?"
>"Oil, I think?" she says,
>_
-
>Try pulling more forcefully
>If this doesn't work, "Would you mind too much if we cover you in oil, then?"
-
>Try pulling more forcefully
>If this doesn't work, "Would you mind too much if we cover you in oil, then?"
>You give a more forceful tug. Satori cries out a little. You think maybe she budges a bit, but you really aren't sure.
>"I suppose I can deal with it." she says.
>_
-
>We don't want to mutilate her by yanking her out. Lets get that oil.
>"Okay, could you give me some directions to the kitchen and oil?"
>Go to kitchen and retrieve oil
>If nothing strange is going on in the kitchen and we find the oil, come back to Satori
-
>We don't want to mutilate her by yanking her out. Lets get that oil.
>"Okay, could you give me some directions to the kitchen and oil?"
>Go to kitchen and retrieve oil
>If nothing strange is going on in the kitchen and we find the oil, come back to Satori
>"It's to the left of the front hall," says Satori. "Check the cabinets. Be sure to close them when you're done, Bibsy will get in them if you don't!"
>You leave Satori's room and head back to the main hall. Lyrica is jamming away (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI4hC7G8BmA) on her keyboard, while a few cats lounge around her. You take a left.
>You come to an empty kitchen. It is rather large and impressive-looking, with ranges and stoves and cabinets to match Eientei's kitchen. But without any activity, its impressiveness gives way to a sort of lonely feeling. At least it is clean. There are a number of dirty bowls placed haphazardly on the floor. A brown cat lounges on one of the countertops, while a striped orange cat watches you from the corner.
>You look through the cabinets, and quickly find a large bottle of olive oil.
>You return to Satori's room, and find she hasn't moved.
>_
-
>You return to Satori's room, and find she hasn't moved.
>Darn.
>"Satori, your arms are free, right? If I drop this oil down, can you pour it around where you're stuck? Then I'll try to pull you out again."
>If she responds positively, "Okay, I'm dropping it down now!", and drop the bottle of oil.
-
>Darn.
>"Satori, your arms are free, right? If I drop this oil down, can you pour it around where you're stuck? Then I'll try to pull you out again."
>If she responds positively, "Okay, I'm dropping it down now!", and drop the bottle of oil.
>"I've got one free," she says.
>You give her warning and drop the bottle. "Ow!" she replies a moment later. Well, at least you didn't hear it shatter. You wait a few moments, until she says, "Okay, I poured it. There's a big mess now."
>_
-
>"Okay, grab the makeshift rope!"
>After she does so, start pulling her up. Pull carefully if possible.
-
>"Okay, grab the makeshift rope!"
>After she does so, start pulling her up. Pull carefully if possible.
>"Got it!"
>You start pulling on the rope, carefully at first. There's no real give, so you pull harder. You hear Satori grunt, but you feel a bit of slack. Encouraged, you pull harder. Satori cries out, but you feel it give a bit, then a bit more, then pop!
>You stumble back from the sudden slack, and fall onto the floor, landing on your tail. It is beyond your ability not to cry out in pain from that.
>Satori floats out of the dumbwaiter shaft, soaked in oil and looking very sheepish. "T-thank you," she says, trying not to make eye contact. "Sorry about your tail. Um...I'll be right back!" She then dashes out of the room.
>_
>_
-
>_
>_
>Tee-hee :V
>Get up, then wait for Satori.
-
>Put dark glasses back on
-
>Tee-hee :V
>Get up, then wait for Satori.
>Put dark glasses back on
>You replace your Pair of Tinted Glasses. It's only polite.
>I'll tee your hee, fuckshit.
>You get up, trying to ignore your aching tail, and wait for Satori to return. After a few moments, she returns, her oil-stained dress exchanged for a fluffy bathrobe. "I'm sorry," she says, as she goes to one of the wardrobes and pulls out some bedsheets. "I had to take care of personal business." As she starts to make the bed, "Thank you very much for the help, Reisen. I was stuck in there all night."
>_
-
>I'll tee your hee, fuckshit.
> >:
>"Why did you go inside the dumbwaiter, anyway?"
-
>"Why did you go inside the dumbwaiter, anyway?"
>Think about this instead of saying it out loud, for the lulz.
-
> >:
>"Why did you go inside the dumbwaiter, anyway?"
>You wanna step outside son?
>"Well," says Satori, "Utsuho came home with a couple oni friends last night. I wanted to leave them to themselves, and not have to see their thoughts. But I also needed a drink. The kitties some times climb up the old dumbwaiter shaft, and I'm pretty small, so I figured that if I was careful, I could get down to the kitchen without bothering them. And, well..."
>It is very interesting and moderately disconcerting to watch Satori make a bed.
>Think about this instead of saying it out loud, for the lulz.
>Too late.
>"I'd be just as happy if you spoke to me," says Satori. "A question asked has more dignity."
>_
-
>Assess Satori's catness rating
>Ask about pet training advices for Patchy.
-
>You wanna step outside son?
>Bring it. (http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/205/chomarisa.jpg)..just kidding~<3
>"Do you have any information on whoever is running The Felt?"
-
>Assess Satori's catness rating
>Ask about pet training advices for Patchy.
>You can't imagine Satori can catch rats very well with those arms. And she's failed to go where cats can go. She's a 17/96, you think.
>"Ah," says Satori, "so they're serious about that. Well, I'll prepare something for her. I'm sure she'll make a fine youkai someday."
>Bring it. (http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/205/chomarisa.jpg)..just kidding~<3
>"Do you have any information on whoever is running The Felt?"
>You have already lost, I know her weakness.
>Satori shakes her head. "No, I've never bothered with the place. I can't handle crowds at all."
-
> Ponder how thin the dumbwaiter shaft must be if someone with a figure as beautifully slender as Satori's was able to get stuck in it
-
> Ponder how thin the dumbwaiter shaft must be if someone with a figure as beautifully slender as Satori's was able to get stuck in it
>Yeah really. You sure as hell couldn't fit in there.
>"I think it's warped a little," Satori says. "Does stone warp?" She shrugs, and goes back to making the bed.
>_
-
> Offer to help and get another comforter.
-
>"Warped? But stone doesn't warp... I don't think it does, at least."
>Check out the shaft (with your glasses off) to see if anything is out of the ordinary.
-
> Offer to help and get another comforter.
>"Thank you," Satori says, as you get her another comforter to put in the bed. "Uh, if you would, keep this whole thing a secret?"
>"Warped? But stone doesn't warp... I don't think it does, at least."
>Check out the shaft (with your glasses off) to see if anything is out of the ordinary.
>You look into the dumbwaiter shaft. It's fairly dark, so you aren't sure, but it might be a bit crooked. You imagine it as likely always been that way. You don't think there is a dumbwaiter anymore; certainly no ropes for one.
>_
-
> "Don't worry. I can keep a secret better than Tewi anyway."
-
> "Don't worry. I can keep a secret better than Tewi anyway."
>Satori nods. Then she looks away from her bedmaking and stares at you. "...You poor thing," she says after a moment. "What has that rabbit done to you?!"
>_
-
>What
>"...eh? Wh-what do you mean?"
-
>"Um...I think you pretty much saw it. At any rate, I'm guessing you haven't heard anything about a rabbit that's been going around causing mischief that apparently isn't Tewi?"
-
>What
>"...eh? Wh-what do you mean?"
>"I can see the thoughts that name invokes," says Satori, still frowning.
>"Um...I think you pretty much saw it. At any rate, I'm guessing you haven't heard anything about a rabbit that's been going around causing mischief that apparently isn't Tewi?"
>She shakes her head. "It seems that like that rabbit has given you quite the runaround, but I haven't heard anything about it."
>_
-
> Continue helping Satori with the bed
> Ask her if there's anything else we could help with, as we have been on a helping streak today
-
> Continue helping Satori with the bed
> Ask her if there's anything else we could help with, as we have been on a helping streak today
>You finish making the bed with Satori. "Thank you very much," she says.
>You ask if there's anything else she needs. "Not really," she says. "To be honest, since the Prismrivers started staying with me, it's been quite lovely. Shafts aside, I suppose. I do owe you one, so if you require a favor, please ask." She holds up a hand, "But before you do, please don't ask me to read peoples' minds to deal with that rabbit incident unless it is a matter of life or death. It's terribly unethical, and I have a time convincing people I don't do it already."
>_
-
> "Ill try to hold off on that then."
> "By the way, do you think you could get that advice we asked for, for Patchouli? She'll probably want it as soon as possible."
-
> "Ill try to hold off on that then."
> "By the way, do you think you could get that advice we asked for, for Patchouli? She'll probably want it as soon as possible."
>"Yes, I'll write up something right now." says Satori, "It'll take me a little time, so if you wish to do something else, just tell me where you're going and I'll have Lyrica find you and deliver it."
>_
-
>"Yes, I'll write up something right now." says Satori, "It'll take me a little time, so if you wish to do something else, just tell me where you're going and I'll have Lyrica find you and deliver it."
>_
> "Ah, thank you. I'll probably try The Felt again to see if I can find the Owner. I'll pop by again after if Lyrica hasn't delivered yet."
-
>Satori nods. "Alright. Merlin and Lunasa might be able to tell you something, if they're not too busy."
>_
-
>"speaking of which, how goes the Prismriver's reuniting?"
-
>"speaking of which, how goes the Prismriver's reuniting?"
>"Oh, they're very noisy," says Satori, smiling fondly. "They'll cause all sorts of ruckus, trying to come up with songs they can all be happy with. Merlin and Lunasa are making a bit of money now, and I've managed to convince them to tuck most of it away for future hard times. They're really quite silly sometimes. But I think they're mostly getting along again. And it's nice they can take up some of the chores from Orin and Okuu, those two can be quite the lazybones anyways."
>_
-
>"Okuu I'd expect but Orin? That mildly surprises me."
-
>"Okuu I'd expect but Orin? That mildly surprises me."
>"Orin's very diligent," says Satori, "But only when she has some interest in what she's doing. Good luck trying to get her to do the laundry."
>_
-
> "Heh. That's actually kinda funny."
> "Anyway, I'll be back later if something comes up."
> Bid satori and Lyrica farewell.
> Head for The Felt.
-
> "Heh. That's actually kinda funny."
> "Anyway, I'll be back later if something comes up."
> Bid satori and Lyrica farewell.
> Head for The Felt.
>You says you goodbyes, and leave the Palace of the Earth Spirits.
>Returning to The Felt, you find it is mostly as you left it. Though you see Yuugi and Parsee making their way out, both stumbling a bit and Parsee leaning heavily upon Yuugi.
>_
-
> Flag down Yuugi
-
> Flag down Yuugi
>Yuugi notices your waving, and makes her way over toward you.
>"And then I'm gonna-" you hear Parsee mutter.
>"Quiet, Parse," says Yuugi, "There's people listening, like Reisen over there."
>"Aw, let 'em listen," says Parsee, "they can can be jealous for once." Despite this, she falls quiet.
>"Yeah what?" asks Yuugi, looking at you again.
>_
-
> "I was wondering if the head honcho is in yet."
-
> "I was wondering if the head honcho is in yet."
>"Actually, yeah," says Yuugi. "Just got in a couple minutes ago. Said business closed up early. Just head toward the door at the back of the dance floor and knock. Four times, two high, two low."
>"And then I'm gonna-" Parsee mutters.
>"Pipe down, girl," Yuugi says, "I'm trying to do some zogging business here. Otherwise I'm turning you upside down." You don't think the little squeal Parsee gives in reply suggests she completely understood the threat. Yuugi glances back to you, "Look, I need to her home."
>_
-
> "Don't worry, I can handle it myself."
> Bid Yuugi and Parsee farewell and head for the door Yuugi mentioned.
-
> "Don't worry, I can handle it myself."
> Bid Yuugi and Parsee farewell and head for the door Yuugi mentioned.
>You give Yuugi your assurance, and bid the pair farewell.
>You head inside The Felt, dodge your way through the crowds and the dance floor, and look for the door Yuugi mentioned. It takes a few moments to find it; just a simple white door flanked by a couple potted plants.
>_
-
> Knock high twice, then low twice
-
> Knock high twice, then low twice
>You give the knock.
>"Come in!" says a voice inside.
>_
-
>Enter! I'm so interested to see who it is~
-
>Enter! I'm so interested to see who it is~
>You walk through the door, and enter an office.
>You are in a nice office. The lower portions of the walls are wood paneled, while the upper portions are covered with tasteful portraits. Quite a few potted plants sit around, giving the office a lovely splash of green. A desk sits near the rear of the room, covered with various oddities, most notable a vase full of flowers that seem to have a mirror-like reflectiveness. At the desk sits a person who could only be the boss.
>The boss...is dazzling. You cannot take your eyes away from that suit she wears. A golden brown jacket, with a seashell on the lapel. A matching bowler hat, sitting at a perfect angle. An elegant monocle rests on her right eye. The cut of that suit, the elegant material! At the same time relaxed and formal! It may be a blessing that she isn't standing, you don't know if you heart could take seeing the whole thing at once.
>It takes you longer than it should to notice the woman in the suit. She is fairly short, with a round face, blonde hair, and red eyes. You really can't make out much about her features due to the obviously fake mustache she is wearing, but you can't help but be impressed how well she wears it. She has an elegantly curved pipe in one hand, which she puts to her mouth as she regards you, sending up a small stream of bubbles from it.
>"Hi!" she says, after a moment of silence between the two of you.
>_
-
> "Er... Hey."
-
> "Er... Hey."
>"Hi!" she replies.
>_
-
>...as soon as I read "Seashell"
>"Rumia?"
>@_@
-
>This... can not possibly be Rumia, can it?
-
>...as soon as I read "Seashell"
>"Rumia?"
>@_@
>You try to put the pieces together, then tentatively voice your hypothesis. "I'm the boss, Reisen," she says, then sends another stream of bubbles from her pipe.
>This... can not possibly be Rumia, can it?
>...Can it? She does have the right physical appearance... But...Rumia?
>_
-
>I told you all. Those are all those secret items she collected. But we can pretend that it's not Rumia. Sure.
-
>I told you all. Those are all those secret items she collected. But we can pretend that it's not Rumia. Sure.
>You decide to play along.
>"So," says the boss, "What did you want?"
>_
-
> Tell her of your quest for fashion advice
-
> Tell her of your quest for fashion advice
>"I think you look pretty good," says the boss, giving you an encouraging smile. "You should focus on your inner beauty instead."
>_
-
>Ask about her thoughts on a base 6 pair of pants.
-
>"My ... Inner Beauty?"
-
>Ask about her thoughts on a base 6 pair of pants.
>"That sounds keen!" says the boss, leaning forward "What are they? Can I have some?"
>"My ... Inner Beauty?"
>"Yep!" says the boss. "Look at this place, everyone's all dressed up and having fun. But who is it that that really stands out when you've got everyone looking their best? It's the people who look their best on the inside, too. The people who everybody wants to be friends with. And why not let that be you?"
>She nods and puffs another stream of bubbles from her pipe.
>_
-
>That's definitely Rumia alright.
>Wonder how she got so snazzy.
>"And ... what does it take to show this ... inner beauty? How do I know if I have it?"
-
>That's definitely Rumia alright.
>Wonder how she got so snazzy.
>"And ... what does it take to show this ... inner beauty? How do I know if I have it?"
>It certainly seems that way. Perhaps the people underground never dealt with Rumia much?
>That is a very good question. You have no very good answers.
>"Don't be a meanie," says the boss sagely. "Listen to people when they talk to you. Be honest with yourself and others. Be reliable. You're pretty good at all that, aren't ya? So you're on you way! Oh, and don't eat people. They hate that, take it from me. And don't worry, everybody's got it."
>_
-
> "Is that so?"
-
> "Is that so?"
>The boss nods, and beams at you. "You'll do alright, kid. Got anything else for me?"
>_
-
> "I understand that inner beauty is important, but I just have to know: where did you get those clothes? They look magnificent, and I'm just in awe."
-
> "I understand that inner beauty is important, but I just have to know: where did you get those clothes? They look magnificent, and I'm just in awe."
>"Found 'em," says the boss. "Well, I had someone find them for me, and then I gave her things for each piece."
>_
-
>Check inventory
>Check quests
-
>Check inventory
>Check quests
>Been awhile~
>Your Inventory contains:
>Dress Suit w/ Stockings (Wore as clothes)
>Cresent Pin (Worn as accessory)
>Wave Sign: Mind Shaker
>Visionary Wave: Mind Blowing
>Lunatic Sign: Visionary Tuning
>Lunatic Gaze: Illusion Seeker
>Loafing Sign: Idling Wave
>Indolence: Mind Stopper
>Spread Sign: Invisible Full Moon
>Lunar Eyes: Tele-Mesmerism
>Pair of Tinted Glasses (Worn as eyewear)
>Beautiful Seashell
>Dark Blue Backpack
>Faerie Ribbon
>Tiger-Striped Handkerchief (Worn as Accessory)
>Raw Lamprey Fillet
>Bottle of Wind
>635☼
>1/60 Scale Valsione Model
>Masterfully Crafted Wakazashi
>Silver Necklace.
>Red Gem
>Silver Medal (Worn as accessory)
>Metal Shard
>Your Current Quests Are:
>Revenge of the Buddha vs Yamato
>Prismrivers Comeback?
>Dog Training
>Alice's Hookup
>Mystery of the Rabbit
>Cooperative Research
>The Great Ghost Burglary
>What is a Felt?
>You Self-Appointed Goals are:
>Prove That I'm Not a Useless Rabbit, Good Only For My Sex Appeal
>Huggle Kaguya
>Invent a Base Six Pair of Pants
>_
-
>Ponder if a felt is a miserable little pile of lint
>Recap
>Examine quests
-
>Ponder if a felt is a miserable little pile of lint
>Recap
>Examine quests
>This place is some lint, then?
>A whole bunch of cool stuff happened.
>Your Current Quests Are:
>Revenge of the Buddha vs Yamato
>The Hakurei Shrine and Byakuren's group are having a nasty misunderstanding involving UFOs and spying. No one seems to be coming forward with anything or knows where they originate from. Rumor has it Rinnosuke had one for sale a while back...
>Prismrivers Comeback?
>Patchouli asked you to look into the Prismrivers reuniting. It seems they're doing alright.
>Dog Training
>Patchouli asked you to persuade Satori to send her more dog-training advice. Lyrica should be finding you to deliver the results.
>Alice's Hookup
>You've been recruited to help Alice find a special someone, or at least a friend.
>Mystery of the Rabbit
>There's been a rabbit breaking curfew and drinking. Perhaps even worse? All you know is that she is apparently not Tewi.
>Cooperative Research
>Patchouli asked you to talk to Eirin about investigating a mystery.
>The Great Ghost Burglary
>Hakugyokorou attacked Scarlet Devil Mansion out of the blue, you've been asked to help settle the score by robbing Hakugyokorou of a valuable.
>What is a Felt?
>The owner of The Felt is hiding her identity. Now you have a good idea who she is, you're fairly certain.
>You Self-Appointed Goals are:
>Prove That I'm Not a Useless Rabbit, Good Only For My Sex Appeal
>People have been talking, you gotta do something about it.
>Huggle Kaguya
>It's going to be one of those days, you're going to need a lot of hugs.
>Invent a Base Six Pair of Pants
>You don't know what the faeries were talking about when they mentioned this, but it needs to exist.
>_
-
>"Yes, a Base Six Pair of Pants DOES sound keen...but I need help developing it. And you being such a snazzy dresser, I thought you might have some ideas"
Other voices: She's Rumia. She's the closest thing to an intelligent fairy we'll find :P.
-
>"Yes, a Base Six Pair of Pants DOES sound keen...but I need help developing it. And you being such a snazzy dresser, I thought you might have some ideas"
>The boss frowns and furrows her brow in thought, twiddling the end of her fake mustache. "Okay," she says slowly, "It's base six. So it needs six bases. So you'd have to find something from six bases to put into them. Yeah!"
>_
-
> "Six bases? Do you know of anything with six bases?"
-
>"Or, at least 6 different places that could count as a base?"
-
> "Wait, this is a casino...maybe this pair of pants could be modeled after a die?"
-
> "Six bases? Do you know of anything with six bases?"
>The boss shrugs. "Maybe a stool with six legs?"
>"Or, at least 6 different places that could count as a base?"
>"Ummm..." says the boss, "Oh, don't you live at the rabbits' base?"
> "Wait, this is a casino...maybe this pair of pants could be modeled after a die?"
>"Why would you do something like that?" asks the Boss with a frown.
>_
-
"Well, a die has six bases, doesn't it? One for each number one through six."
-
"Well, a die has six bases, doesn't it? One for each number one through six."
>"Oh. I suppose," says the boss. "I don't think those would make good pants."
>_
-
Voices: I've found a model for our pants. (http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=2699291)
-
Sounds like a plan. Also, perhaps Rumia's "work on your inner beauty" advice could help with the Alice quest if things don't pan out otherwise.
> "You do have a point about Eientei. Let's see...what are some other 'bases'? The Hakurei Shrine, the SDM, Hakugyokurou, the Youkai Mountain...and here in the underground, I guess?"
-
> "You do have a point about Eientei. Let's see...what are some other 'bases'? The Hakurei Shrine, the SDM, Hakugyokurou, the Youkai Mountain...and here in the underground, I guess?"
>The boss nods. "Sounds like it. So, need anything else?"
>_
-
> "Not right now, thank you. Would it be possible for me to stop by later today if I have more question?"
-
> "Not right now, thank you. Would it be possible for me to stop by later today if I have more question?"
>The boss shrugs. "I might not be in, but okay. As long as it's not about money. I hate when people miss the point like that."
>_
-
> "If you're not in, I'll leave word that I was looking for for. Is that alright?"
> Thank her and leave the office.
> Head back into The Felt and look for Lyrica
-
> "If you're not in, I'll leave word that I was looking for for. Is that alright?"
> Thank her and leave the office.
> Head back into The Felt and look for Lyrica
>"Sure!" says the boss, "The oni or the faeries will be happy to help out!"
>You say your thanks and leave the office. The boss goes back to what she was doing, which involved scribbling with a crayon.
>You return to The Felt's public areas, and look around for Lyrica. You don't see her, and you are pretty sure her costume would stick out pretty well among the suits and cocktail dresses.
>_
-
> Head to the stage and see if Lunasa or Merlin are free now
-
> Head to the stage and see if Lunasa or Merlin are free now
>You make your way toward the stage.
>It is fairly evident that the band is just holding down the fort now. Only a few of the oni are playing, and it is just a simple tune that doesn't seem to take much work. You see Merlin lurking off the side of the stage, cleaning her trumpet. You don't see Lunasa around.
>_
>_
-
> Why can't anything ever be easy?
> Greet Merlin, ask about Lunasa.
-
> Why can't anything ever be easy?
> Greet Merlin, ask about Lunasa.
>Well, it could be worse.
>You approach Merlin and greet her. "Oh, hi~" she says. "Looking to join the band?"
>You ask about Lunasa. "She's over there getting something to eat," says Merlin, gesturing vaguely toward the restaurant area.
>_
-
> "Yo, you know anything about the little UFO toys that were in Kourindou recently? I wanted to pick one up but they were all gone by the time I got there."
-
> "Yo, you know anything about the little UFO toys that were in Kourindou recently? I wanted to pick one up but they were all gone by the time I got there."
>"I think he only had one," says Merlin, "A blue one. I saw a rabbit buying it right before the new year, when I was shopping for Satori."
>_
-
>"Pink Dress? Straight, Black Hair?"
-
>"Did she have a carrot charm?"
-
>"Pink Dress? Straight, Black Hair?"
>"Blue dress," says Merlin, "But I think she had hair like that."
>"Did she have a carrot charm?"
>She shrugs. "I wasn't paying that much attention."
>_
-
> "Thanks."
> Mild agitation.
> Head for the restaurant.
-
> "Thanks."
> Mild agitation.
> Head for the restaurant.
>"You're welcome," says Merlin, who seems oblivious to your agitation.
>You head for the restaurant, and quickly find Lunasa. She is in the process of tearing into a plate of fried chicken with wild abandon. As such, she doesn't notice you approach.
>_
-
> Whismer* "Hi." in Lunasa's ear.
*Whisper
-
> Whismer* "Hi." in Lunasa's ear.
*Whisper
>You are not able to get close enough to whisper in her ear, but you do make her start when she notices, and now have your face far closer to hers than politeness allows. Kogasa would be proud, if she weren't too busy at the tables to notice this.
>"Oh. Um, hello Reisen," says Lunasa, after finishing off her current mouthful.
>_
-
>"Hi! How are you getting along with your sisters?"
-
>"Hi! How are you getting along with your sisters?"
>"Um, alright, I guess?" says Lunasa, whose face reflects her increasing discomfort with recent events.
>_
-
> Back away a little bit.
> "Sorry about that, I've been playing the tables with Kogasa, so I think it kind of rubbed off on me.". Ehehehe.
> Ask her the same questions we asked Merlin, aside from her location.
-
> Back away a little bit.
> "Sorry about that, I've been playing the tables with Kogasa, so I think it kind of rubbed off on me.". Ehehehe.
> Ask her the same questions we asked Merlin, aside from her location.
>She nods.
>You ask her about UFOs. "I've not really paid any attention to that. And, it's just, I've not been to the surface in weeks. Um, Merlin tends to get the shopping trips. I heard there was an incident with the shrines, I think."
-
> "Have any other rabbits come in here before?"
-
> "Have any other rabbits come in here before?"
>"Not that I know of," says Lunasa. "You guys, uh, usually keep to yourselves, right?"
>_
-
> "That's true, but last night a rabbit that looked like Tewi went drinking with Hina, Letty and Rumia. It wasn't Tewi because this rabbit was apparently nice. So, we seem to have a rogue rabbit on our hands, or a doppelg?nger, and I'm trying to collect information on that as well. Have you seen any floppy-eared rabbits lately?"
-
> "That's true, but last night a rabbit that looked like Tewi went drinking with Hina, Letty and Rumia. It wasn't Tewi because this rabbit was apparently nice. So, we seem to have a rogue rabbit on our hands, or a doppelg?nger, and I'm trying to collect information on that as well. Have you seen any floppy-eared rabbits lately?"
>You get extra credit for using ? correctly!
>Lunasa shakes her head. "It's just, rabbits don't seem to come down here. Except you, I suppose. Before that, um...not since I left Eientei in fall. And there's a lot of rabbits there, I only just got to know a couple. Um, they don't sound like the one you're looking for it."
>_
-
> "I see, if any show up, please make a note of what they look like."
> "By the way, Patchouli wanted to know how the reuniting is going between you three. Any news?"
-
> "I see, if any show up, please make a note of what they look like."
> "By the way, Patchouli wanted to know how the reuniting is going between you three. Any news?"
>Lunasa nods. "It sounds important. I'll, uh, do my best."
>"Oh!" says Lunasa. "We've been trying really hard to come up with things each like. It's been, um, a challenge. But I think we're onto something. It's just, we're looking for inspiration now."
>_
-
> "I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear that! What kind of inspiration?"
> "Also, why wasn't Lyrica playing with you tonight?"
-
> "I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear that! What kind of inspiration?"
> "Also, why wasn't Lyrica playing with you tonight?"
>"Umm, just about anything with a good sound," says Lunasa. "But songs are best."
>Lunasa frowns. "She doesn't like jazz. Kind of annoying; it's just, we could use someone on the piano."
>_
-
> Inventory
-
>Your Inventory contains:
>Dress Suit w/ Stockings (Wore as clothes)
>Cresent Pin (Worn as accessory)
>Wave Sign: Mind Shaker
>Visionary Wave: Mind Blowing
>Lunatic Sign: Visionary Tuning
>Lunatic Gaze: Illusion Seeker
>Loafing Sign: Idling Wave
>Indolence: Mind Stopper
>Spread Sign: Invisible Full Moon
>Lunar Eyes: Tele-Mesmerism
>Pair of Tinted Glasses (Worn as eyewear)
>Beautiful Seashell
>Dark Blue Backpack
>Faerie Ribbon
>Tiger-Striped Handkerchief (Worn as Accessory)
>Raw Lamprey Fillet
>Bottle of Wind
>635☼
>1/60 Scale Valsione Model
>Masterfully Crafted Wakazashi
>Silver Necklace.
>Red Gem
>Silver Medal (Worn as accessory)
>Metal Shard
-
> Look around for Lyrica.
-
> Look around for Lyrica.
>You look around, and see no sign of Lyrica at first. Then you see her through the doors, lurking outside.
>_
-
> Approach Lyrica.
> "Thanks for bringing that."
> Take Satori's instructions
> "Hey what's going on? I saw you standing outside, you banned or something?"
-
> Approach Lyrica.
> "Thanks for bringing that."
> Take Satori's instructions
> "Hey what's going on? I saw you standing outside, you banned or something?"
>You leave The Felt, and approach Lyrica. She hands you the message.
>You obtain: Thick Envelope
>"You're welcome," she says. She then gives a glance to The Felt. "Eh? I just don't like going in. The place is dumb. So I figured I'd just wait for you to come outside."
>_
-
> "It's kinda rough but it's not that bad, and your sisters seem to be doing fine in there. In fact, they could use a piano player, and I'm standing here wondering why you're not up there jamming with them. What's wrong?"
-
> "It's kinda rough but it's not that bad, and your sisters seem to be doing fine in there. In fact, they could use a piano player, and I'm standing here wondering why you're not up there jamming with them. What's wrong?"
>Lyrica smirks. "Jazz is stupid music for stupid people who wanna pretend it never stopped being the past. I got no time for that."
>_
-
> "That may be, but Jazz is incredibly accessible to dance hall patrons, and is still quite popular for lounge music. It's not oppressive to listen to and it's easy to dance too. Knowing music as you do, you have to agree for for a place like The Felt, jazz is a very appropriate choice to play."
> "But since you don't want to play it, what would you rather play?"
-
> "That may be, but Jazz is incredibly accessible to dance hall patrons, and is still quite popular for lounge music. It's not oppressive to listen to and it's easy to dance too. Knowing music as you do, you have to agree for for a place like The Felt, jazz is a very appropriate choice to play."
> "But since you don't want to play it, what would you rather play?"
>"Eh. Like I said, it's a dumb place for dumb people who wanna pretend it's still the past."
>"Me? I'd rather break out the synths and do something that isn't archaic." She shrugs. "But Lunasa doesn't like it much, so it's not something I can get them to do easy, and certainly not for reals."
>_
-
> "Synths huh? Like techno?"
-
> Didn't Kourin have Nightlife(Etended) in his shop? I think that might change Lyrica's mind about Jazz. Or at the verry least, it'll give Merlin and Lunasaq a new song to learn for their performances.
> Maybe'd she'd like some ZUN-style music?
-
> "Synths huh? Like techno?"
>She nods and grins. "I bet that's what they listen to up on the moon, isn't it?"
> Didn't Kourin have Nightlife(Etended) in his shop? I think that might change Lyrica's mind about Jazz. Or at the verry least, it'll give Merlin and Lunasaq a new song to learn for their performances.
> Maybe'd she'd like some ZUN-style music?
>You do recall that item being there.
>_
-
> "I have an idea, come with me!"
> Grab Lyrica's hand and lead her back to Lunasa.
> "I got an idea, follow me!"
> Grab Lunasa's hand and head over to Merlin.
> "Idea time you're still on break let's go!"
> Push Merlin to the boss' door with the other sisters in tow.
> Knock properly on the door.
> Turn to sisters: "And no fighting!"
-
> "I have an idea, come with me!"
> Grab Lyrica's hand and lead her back to Lunasa.
> "I got an idea, follow me!"
> Grab Lunasa's hand and head over to Merlin.
> "Idea time you're still on break let's go!"
> Push Merlin to the boss' door with the other sisters in tow.
> Knock properly on the door.
> Turn to sisters: "And no fighting!"
>You grab Lyrica's hand, and drag her into The Felt, as she squawks in surprise. She makes a cursory effort to fight back, but your are in excellent physical condition and stronger than she. She quickly gives up.
>You yank Lunasa from her meal, with her unable to protest due to having her mouth full.
>Dragging Lunasa and Lyrica with you, you find Merlin where you left her. Lacking a third hand, you just herd her toward the boss' office.
>Knocking on the door, you hear a polite, "Come in!"
>The Prismrivers nod dumbly in reply to your imperative against fighting.
>_
-
> Enter Boss' office, with Prismrivers in tow.
> "I'm sorry to interupt you again, but since you own this place, I assume you would be the one to talk to about employees?"
-
> Enter Boss' office, with Prismrivers in tow.
> "I'm sorry to interupt you again, but since you own this place, I assume you would be the one to talk to about employees?"
>You herd the Prismrivers into the office, and close the door behind them with your foot. The boss regards you quizzically from her spot at the desk, sending a single bubble from her pipe.
>You ask her about employees. "I guess," she says. "What's the problem? Did they start a fire, or try to bury treasure in the dance floor?"
>_
-
> "Neither of those. Lunasa here mentioned that they could use a piano player on stage with them. Lyrica here can play, but she isn't fond of playing jazz. In fact, she'd rather use a synth and play techno-dance. This got me thinking, why not combine them? Would it be possible to let Lyrica run a Rave Night once a week, or have a Rave Set nightly? It'd be something else that could set The Felt off from the other clubs in the underground. In exchange though, Lyrica would also play some with the jazz band on piano. I just thought of this a few seconds ago, so apologies for the rushed explanation, but I just had to pitch this as soon as I could."
-
> "Neither of those. Lunasa here mentioned that they could use a piano player on stage with them. Lyrica here can play, but she isn't fond of playing jazz. In fact, she'd rather use a synth and play techno-dance. This got me thinking, why not combine them? Would it be possible to let Lyrica run a Rave Night once a week, or have a Rave Set nightly? It'd be something else that could set The Felt off from the other clubs in the underground. In exchange though, Lyrica would also play some with the jazz band on piano. I just thought of this a few seconds ago, so apologies for the rushed explanation, but I just had to pitch this as soon as I could."
>"That sounds pretty weird," says the boss. She twiddles the end of her false mustache. "She can set up tonight, we'll see how it works."
>The Prismrivers look between themselves, a chorus of "Huh?" and "Wha-?" being exchanged between them.
>_
-
> "Excuse me for a minute."
> Pull the Prismrivers aside.
> "Look, here's the thing. When Patchouli put the three of you back together and told you to make nice, she really wanted you three to bury the hatchet. Yeah, you may have your differences, but the three of you work exceptionally well together. Hell, together you make the best damn music in Gensokyo. And while it's great that Lunasa and Merlin have started playing together again, Lyrica's still missing. Lyrica, you told me that you weren't fond of playing jazz, but did you ever tell them?"
-
> "Excuse me for a minute."
> Pull the Prismrivers aside.
> "Look, here's the thing. When Patchouli put the three of you back together and told you to make nice, she really wanted you three to bury the hatchet. Yeah, you may have your differences, but the three of you work exceptionally well together. Hell, together you make the best damn music in Gensokyo. And while it's great that Lunasa and Merlin have started playing together again, Lyrica's still missing. Lyrica, you told me that you weren't fond of playing jazz, but did you ever tell them?"
>"Okay!" says the boss, as she picks up her crayon again and goes back to her prior task.
>You pull the Prismrivers aside, and lay out your case. "Uh," says Lyrica, "Pretty much what you just said."
>"Only with more mean words," says Merlin.
>Lyrica looks like she's about to say something, but she glances at you and decides otherwise.
>_
-
> "Well that's not the important part, at least you're talking. Lunasa mentioned that she needs some inspiration. Personally, I don't think any inspiration you manage to find without being a trio again will do a lick of good, but there's an over-arcing problem: that playing jazz and Oni party jams will probably not inspire any creativity amongst you three. Lyrica's been doing her own playing outside of work, but have the two of you been playing just for fun lately?"
> "Personally to Lyrica, as you know this isn't the right venue for a Dance party, so don't expect to have a Rave Set past tonight, but you really need to go out there with Merlin and Lunasa and just play for the rest of the day. Don't expect inspiration to strike while you're out there though, but you three should start getting back into playing together."
> "The sooner you can mend your differences, the sooner you can get out of Satori's and away from all those animals. Is there anything else holding you back that I don't know about?"
-
> You go, Rabbit-girl!
-
> "Well that's not the important part, at least you're talking. Lunasa mentioned that she needs some inspiration. Personally, I don't think any inspiration you manage to find without being a trio again will do a lick of good, but there's an over-arcing problem: that playing jazz and Oni party jams will probably not inspire any creativity amongst you three. Lyrica's been doing her own playing outside of work, but have the two of you been playing just for fun lately?"
> "Personally to Lyrica, as you know this isn't the right venue for a Dance party, so don't expect to have a Rave Set past tonight, but you really need to go out there with Merlin and Lunasa and just play for the rest of the day. Don't expect inspiration to strike while you're out there though, but you three should start getting back into playing together."
> "The sooner you can mend your differences, the sooner you can get out of Satori's and away from all those animals. Is there anything else holding you back that I don't know about?"
>You start to explain yourself, and ask if Merlin and Lunasa do their own music. "Me and Lunasa been doing some of our own music~" says Merlin, while Lunasa nods. "But I do spend a lot of time here."
>You address Lyrica. "Heh. I could get 'em into it. But yeah. I guess for today I can pretend I'm not an artist."
>"It's not that we're trying to mess things up," says Lunasa. "It's just, they like us here. It's, um, an obligation, kinda. You see, we just don't want to let them down."
> You go, Rabbit-girl!
>You're feeling mighty proud of yourself now, getting to the core of the problem.
>_
-
> "You don't want to let who down: the oni or the cats?"
-
> "You don't want to let who down: the oni or the cats?"
>"The fans," Lunasa says.
>"I like the kitties too," Merlin interjects.
>_
-
> "We all like the kitties, Merlin. we all like the kitties."
-
> "We all like the kitties, Merlin. we all like the kitties."
> Look around then yell, "CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN??"
-
> "We all like the kitties, Merlin. we all like the kitties."
>Merlin grins at your solidarity.
> Look around then yell, "CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN??"
>You feel you are starting to let the topic drift away. Chen was helluva cute earlier, though.
>_
-
> "Well Lyrica, it's good that you're confident. You three should also think about getting together and just playing sometimes, a lot of ideas can come from a good old-fashioned jam session. In fact, once you get back together chances are there won't be just one genre you'll agree on; but you'll have to be flexible and play some things in order to play the things you do like. Is that too much to ask?"
-
> "Well Lyrica, it's good that you're confident. You three should also think about getting together and just playing sometimes, a lot of ideas can come from a good old-fashioned jam session. In fact, once you get back together chances are there won't be just one genre you'll agree on; but you'll have to be flexible and play some things in order to play the things you do like. Is that too much to ask?"
>"It's just-" Lunasa says.
>"That's kinda what started it," Lyrica interjects. "We didn't do just one thing, and we got our favorites and things we can't stand. So...uh..."
>"I'd wanna do jazz and Lyrica wouldn't and we'd argue." Says Merlin as Lyrica drifts off. "So we broke up. Then we could do what we wanted anytime...kinda."
>_
-
> "Hm. Lunasa, what do you want to play?"
> "Lyrica, is techno the only thing you want to play?"
-
> "Hm. Lunasa, what do you want to play?"
> "Lyrica, is techno the only thing you want to play?"
>"I like classical," says Lunasa, smiling for a moment. "It's just, orchestras are hard to come by. So it's, um, limited."
>"I can do most, I guess," says Lyrica. "Just not jazz. But techno is the best!"
>_
-
> Quests and examine
> Skills and examine
-
> Quests and examine
> Skills and examine
>Your Current Quests Are:
>Revenge of the Buddha vs Yamato
>The Hakurei Shrine and Byakuren's group are having a nasty misunderstanding involving UFOs and spying. No one seems to be coming forward with anything or knows where they originate from. Rumor has it Rinnosuke had one for sale a while back, apparently bought by a rabbit.
>Prismrivers Comeback?
>Patchouli asked you to look into the Prismrivers reuniting. You've taken an active hand in getting them back together.
>Dog Training
>Patchouli asked you to persuade Satori to send her more dog-training advice. All you need to do now is get them to Patchouli.
>Alice's Hookup
>You've been recruited to help Alice find a special someone, or at least a friend.
>Mystery of the Rabbit
>There's been a rabbit breaking curfew and drinking. Perhaps even worse? You are certain it wasn't Tewi.
>Cooperative Research
>Patchouli asked you to talk to Eirin about investigating a mystery.
>The Great Ghost Burglary
>Hakugyokorou attacked Scarlet Devil Mansion out of the blue, you've been asked to help settle the score by robbing Hakugyokorou of a valuable.
>What is a Felt?
>The owner of The Felt is hiding her identity. Now you have a good idea who she is, you're fairly certain.
>You Self-Appointed Goals are:
>Prove That I'm Not a Useless Rabbit, Good Only For My Sex Appeal
>People have been talking, you gotta do something about it.
>Huggle Kaguya
>It's going to be one of those days, you're going to need a lot of hugs.
>Invent a Base Six Pair of Pants
>You don't know what the faeries were talking about when they mentioned this, but it needs to exist. It has been theorized to involve either dice or headquarters.
>Your skills are:
>Gun-having
>You are skilled with the operation and maintenance of many kinds of firearms, a legacy of your old life.
>Wave Manipulation
>You can innately manipulate various of light and sound, creating some nasty illusions. Doing this too often gives you a crippling headache. Eirin has warned you not to abuse this ability.
>Atheletistics
>You are in excellent physical condition, and can perform well in physical activities, and do reasonably well in specialized activities that you have had little practice in.
>First Aiding
>Eirin has taught you a good deal about first aid. You effectively give on the field treatment to wounds, and care for them in the long term
>Pharmocologistics
>You have some basic knowledge in the effects of common herbs and chemicals on the body of the average person. Non-average people tend to confound you.
>Astronomics
>You are well versed in the various aspects and objects of the night sky.
>Facility Maintenizing
>You can clean like a sumbitch.
>Spellcardcrafting.
>You have very modest skill in making spellcards. It takes you a great deal of time to do so.
>Crosswords
>You love these things.
>Faelosophy
>You can invent internally coherent gibberish like a like pro. Faeries dig on your slick wordplay.
>_
-
> "Lyrica, are you only opposed to jazz, or are you opposed to playing the piano?"
-
> "Lyrica, are you only opposed to jazz, or are you opposed to playing the piano?"
>"I prefer a synth," says Lyrica. "but piano's okay, too."
>_
-
> "Do you like the harpsichord?"
-
> "Do you like the harpsichord?"
>"They're alright. Never tried a real one," says Lyrica. "But I got a setting that gets the sound right."
>"Kinda..." says Lunasa.
>_
-
>"Hmm... I believe Kourindou had a song named Candid Friend that you might all enjoy to play. It would work with your instruments, I believe. I should try to obtain it and bring it here later to show you."
-
>"Hmm... I believe Kourindou had a song named Candid Friend that you might all enjoy to play. It would work with your instruments, I believe. I should try to obtain it and bring it here later to show you."
>"Okay," says Merlin. "We can use the inspiration~"
>_
-
> Welp
> "Well, I don't have that song, so I'll have to get it and bring it by some time later today. Until I get back, go up there and play together. Why don't you start right after your break's over? Go enjoy the rest of it."
> Once Prismrivers leave the office, approach the boss again.
> "If you don't mind, may I ask another question?"
-
> Welp
> "Well, I don't have that song, so I'll have to get it and bring it by some time later today. Until I get back, go up there and play together. Why don't you start right after your break's over? Go enjoy the rest of it."
> Once Prismrivers leave the office, approach the boss again.
> "If you don't mind, may I ask another question?"
>The Prismrivers nod, and file out.
>"Huh, what?" asks the boss, looking up from her coloring. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
>_
-
> "Oh don't worry, that's fine."
> Set backpack on floor and hold out arms in a Rumia pose. Turn all the way around and face the boss again. Keep arms outstretched.
> "I've been wondering if this outfit makes me look like I'm trying too hard, what do you think? I don't want to seem like I'm only good for my sex appeal, does this outfit convey that?"
-
> "Oh don't worry, that's fine."
> Set backpack on floor and hold out arms in a Rumia pose. Turn all the way around and face the boss again. Keep arms outstretched.
> "I've been wondering if this outfit makes me look like I'm trying too hard, what do you think? I don't want to seem like I'm only good for my sex appeal, does this outfit convey that?"
>"The clothes look fine," says the boss, with an encouraging smile. "I bet people say it because they think you're a kept woman. But that's because they don't know you very well, nobody really knows the bamboo forest people that well, we only get to see most of you when there's an exhibit of neat moon stuff there."
>_
-
> "Is that so?"
> Put arms down and put backpack back on.
> "Thank you for those kind words, I think you have a good point there."
> "For now though, I really must be going. Thanks again!"
> Leave The Felt and head back to Nue's.
-
> "Is that so?"
> Put arms down and put backpack back on.
> "Thank you for those kind words, I think you have a good point there."
> "For now though, I really must be going. Thanks again!"
> Leave The Felt and head back to Nue's.
>"It is so," she agrees as you slip your Dark Blue Backpack on.
>"You're welcome!" says the boss, as you leave.
>You leave the Felt, noting that the Prismrivers are doing things onstage that you're pretty sure are preparations for the next act.
>Returning to the Rose and Marmot, you find it is slightly busier than before, insomuch as Nue is actually serving a drink to someone when you enter. "Hello, " she says as you enter.
>_
-
> Observe new patron.
> Observe Nue.
> "I checked it out, and I've got an idea of who the owner is, but I'm not 100% sure yet. What do you want to know about that place?"
-
> Observe new patron.
> Observe Nue.
> "I checked it out, and I've got an idea of who the owner is, but I'm not 100% sure yet. What do you want to know about that place?"
>The new patron is some oni. You don't know who she is, but you're sure she's not Suika or Yuugi, so she's probably nobody important.
>Nue looks more or less like she did when you left her. That is, fairly bored and tired. She has a sizable yawn while you examine her.
>"Who the boss is, I suppose," says Nue. "I've been inside, and not seen anything weird. Although if you have some evidence they're up to something sneaky, I've love to see it and get rid of the competition."
>_
-
>"Nope, nothing sneaky seems to be going on."
>There isn't any reason we don't want to tell her its Rumia, right? I noticed the last person didn't say it was, although we're basically 100% positive it is. If we aren't not telling her on purpose then,
>"By the way, the owner actually seems to be Rumia. Unless she's just an image to cover up for the real owner, but considering no one even knows its HER, I doubt that... she sure looks stunning in her new clothes."
-
>"Nope, nothing sneaky seems to be going on."
>There isn't any reason we don't want to tell her its Rumia, right? I noticed the last person didn't say it was, although we're basically 100% positive it is. If we aren't not telling her on purpose then,
>"By the way, the owner actually seems to be Rumia. Unless she's just an image to cover up for the real owner, but considering no one even knows its HER, I doubt that... she sure looks stunning in her new clothes."
>"...Rumia?" says Nue. "You mean short girl, blonde with the ribbon, about yea high-" she holds a hand at her shoulder, which would be the proper height "-says "Is that so?" a lot, cute as a button dumb as a brick Rumia? Well...I guess that explains why no one saw through the disguise. But really? No fooling?"
-
>"No fooling. I was surprised too... it might not have been possible if it weren't for that stuff she has on. It looks incredible. Still, I have no idea how she managed to open such a place."
-
> "But keep in mind, I never got a name out of her, so I'm not 100% sure. And she had on this ridiculous fake mustache, so I couldn't be visually sure either. Still, I'd say 99% sure it's her."
> "What are you planning to do anyway?"
-
> "But keep in mind, I never got a name out of her, so I'm not 100% sure. And she had on this ridiculous fake mustache, so I couldn't be visually sure either. Still, I'd say 99% sure it's her."
> "What are you planning to do anyway?"
>Nue nods. "If you say so..."
>"I don't know, really. Um, I guess it's nice to put a pace on the competition. Just...Rumia? Yeesh."
>_
-
> "You have a problem with Rumia?"
-
>It is pretty embarrassing when you're being outclassed by someone like RUMIA. She is, as Nue said, "dumb as a brick".
-
> Offer that instead of trying to destroy the competition she could Join them or something
-
>Buy a drink.
-
>Buy a drink.
> A non-alcoholic one, at that.
-
> "You have a problem with Rumia?"
>"Not a problem so much as dumbfounded," Nue says, frowning. "It'd be like hearing, I dunno...Chen taking over the Moriya Shrine or something."
>It is pretty embarrassing when you're being outclassed by someone like RUMIA. She is, as Nue said, "dumb as a brick".
>You figure this is a less polite version of what she just said.
> Offer that instead of trying to destroy the competition she could Join them or something
>"No really good way to do that, though," says Nue, stifling another yawn. "Not like I have anything she doesn't, and I'm sure as hell not going to abandon this place to work for her"
>Buy a drink.
> A non-alcoholic one, at that.
>Feeling a bit sorry for Nue, and a bit thirsty, you ask her to to surprise you with something soft. She gives you a Glass of Carrot Juice. On one hand, you feel a little stereotyped. On the other hand, you do love the stuff.
>You obtain: Glass of Carrot Juice
>"That'll be 10☼," says Nue.
>_
-
>Pay
>Drink
>Squeal in delight
-
>Pay
>Drink
>Squeal in delight
>You pay off Nue and enjoy your juice. You would squeal, but you don't want to choke on your juice.
>_
-
> "So, is that all you needed me for?"
-
> "So, is that all you needed me for?"
>"I guess so," says Nue, "unless you got more questions about the whole UFO thing?"
>_
-
> "Not right now, but I'll stop by if I have more."
> Take your leave and return to Kourindou.
-
> "I'll tell my freinds about you, maybe you'll get a little more buissnes!"
> Ok, let's get our shit together
> Check current quests and inventory
-
> "I'll tell my freinds about you, maybe you'll get a little more buissnes!"
> Ok, let's get our shit together
> Check current quests and inventory
>"I'd appreciate that!" says Nue, "Some more revenue would perk Byakuren right up."
>Your Current Quests Are:
>Revenge of the Buddha vs Yamato
>Prismrivers Comeback?
>Dog Training
>Alice's Hookup
>Mystery of the Rabbit
>Cooperative Research
>The Great Ghost Burglary
>You Self-Appointed Goals are:
>Prove That I'm Not a Useless Rabbit, Good Only For My Sex Appeal
>Huggle Kaguya
>Invent a Base Six Pair of Pants
>Your Inventory contains:
>Dress Suit w/ Stockings (Wore as clothes)
>Cresent Pin (Worn as accessory)
>Wave Sign: Mind Shaker
>Visionary Wave: Mind Blowing
>Lunatic Sign: Visionary Tuning
>Lunatic Gaze: Illusion Seeker
>Loafing Sign: Idling Wave
>Indolence: Mind Stopper
>Spread Sign: Invisible Full Moon
>Lunar Eyes: Tele-Mesmerism
>Pair of Tinted Glasses (Worn as eyewear)
>Beautiful Seashell
>Dark Blue Backpack
>Faerie Ribbon
>Tiger-Striped Handkerchief (Worn as Accessory)
>Raw Lamprey Fillet
>Bottle of Wind
>625☼
>1/60 Scale Valsione Model
>Masterfully Crafted Wakazashi
>Silver Necklace.
>Red Gem
>Silver Medal (Worn as accessory)
>Metal Shard
>Thick Envelope
> "Not right now, but I'll stop by if I have more."
> Take your leave and return to Kourindou.
>"Right you are, then," says Nue.
>You finish your drink, and leave the Ancient City.
>Along the way back to the surface, you pass by Kisume, who gives you a curious look but otherwise doesn't try to mug you.
>Returning to the surface, it is easy to get back to Kourindou. Rinnosuke nods to you as you enter.
>The store contains:
>Broken Broadsword Handle
>Iron Key
>Jeweled Box
>Sun Sign: Royal Flare
>Scarlet Devil Mansion Snow Globe
>Nightlife (Extended)
>Large Bag of Beans
>Remote Control
>Bar of Baker's Chocolate
>Bottle of Wine
>Green Yo-Yo
>Lacquered Chopsticks
>Dusty Ring
>Bag of Birdseed
>Umbrella
>Large Pillow
>Deck of Cards
>White Vase
>Teddy Bear Angel
>Bonsai Tree
>Green-Eyed Jealousy
>3 Caramels
>Vial of Sand Grains
>Wall Scroll
>Candid Friend
>Small Bookcase
>Vial of Unknown Liquid
>Bag of Fragrant Herbs
>Snake Paperweight
>Large Ball of Yarn
>Stethoscope
>Bottle of Ethanol
>_
-
> Examine Candid Friend, Wall Scroll, Vial of Unknown Liquid, Green-Eyed Jealousy.
-
> Examine Candid Friend, Wall Scroll, Vial of Unknown Liquid, Green-Eyed Jealousy.
>Candid Friend
>A song incorporating odd phrases and rhythms, in hopes that it will be pleasing to listen to after encountering it often.
>Wall Scroll
>This wall hanging features a beautiful ink painting of an elk looking down upon a verdant river valley.
>Vial of Grey Liquid
>A liquid the color of concrete and the consistency of water. You have no idea what it is for, but you don't think it is a medicine of any kind.
encountering it often.
>Green-Eyed Jealousy
>A song with a melodious feel, rather out of place given its intention.
-
> "What will you take for Candid Friend or Green-Eyed Jealousy?"
-
> "What will you take for Candid Friend or Green-Eyed Jealousy?"
>Rinnosuke considers your inventory. "Hmm. You don't have a lot of things of equivalent value that you haven't already bought from me. I could accept the Silver Necklace for one of them. And, since you've been a good customer today, I suppose I can accept 300☼ for one this once."
>_
-
> Examine Silver Necklace
-
> Examine Silver Necklace
>Silver Necklace
>A simple, unadorned silver necklace. It seems like an understated accessory.
-
> We have enough accessories, trade Silver Necklace for Candid Friend.
> "You've heard about this current feud between the Hakurei Shrine and Byakuren's crew, haven't you? What a mess, all because Reimu found a UFO near her shrine. I'm trying to get to the bottom of it; have you seen any others around?"
-
> We have enough accessories, trade Silver Necklace for Candid Friend.
> "You've heard about this current feud between the Hakurei Shrine and Byakuren's crew, haven't you? What a mess, all because Reimu found a UFO near her shrine. I'm trying to get to the bottom of it; have you seen any others around?"
>You obtain: Candid Friend
>"I have, actually," says Rinnosuke. "The day that the troubles broke out, Patchouli had sold me a blue one. I took the time to ask about it afterwards, and she told me that she obtained it from Rumia. Apparently Rumia found it and traded it to Patchouli for a Secret Item. I asked Rumia that, actually. It seems she found it in the fields to the north of town."
>_
-
>Ask what we could trade for the Vial of Unknown Liquid; Eirin might be interested, and she could likely tell us what it is.
-
>Ask what we could trade for the Vial of Unknown Liquid; Eirin might be interested, and she could likely tell us what it is.
>"Well," says Rinnosuke, "You have been a good customer today, and it is not my custom to charge much for unknowns. And I still feel somewhat indebted for the IOU you procured earlier today. So, I shall trade it for that handkerchief. Or, I suppose, 70☼."
>_
-
> "I heard that a rabbit bought that UFO, is there anything you can tell me about them?"
-
>Trade the handkerchief
-
> "I heard that a rabbit bought that UFO, is there anything you can tell me about them?"
>"She wasn't one I recognized," says Rinnosuke. "She bore superficial resemblance to Tewi, but I don't think anyone that knows Tewi would mistake them."
>Trade the handkerchief
>You obtain: Vial of Unknown Liquid.
>_
-
> "A lot of them look like Tewi, especially in a pink dress. She wasn't wearing a pink dress and didn't have a carrot charm, right? Did she have straight or wavy hair?"
-
>Damn moon bunnies spying on us. >:I And doing it with UFOs is almost adding insult to injury.
-
> "A lot of them look like Tewi, especially in a pink dress. She wasn't wearing a pink dress and didn't have a carrot charm, right? Did she have straight or wavy hair?"
>"I don't recall the clothing," says Rinnosuke, "But I am pretty sure it was a dress. This was some time ago, you realize. I believe she had straight hair, and I know she didn't have the charm Tewi favors."
>Damn moon bunnies spying on us. >:I And doing it with UFOs is almost adding insult to injury.
>This would be such a pain in the ass.
>_
-
> "Thank you for your help, I'm sure we'll be back later."
> Exit to the SDM
-
> "Thank you for your help, I'm sure we'll be back later."
> Exit to the SDM
>Rinnosuke nods, and you depart.
>You make your way to Scarlet Devil Mansion, noting along the lakeshore that the ice city that Nue named sparkles in the weak sunlight that has managed to break through the clouds for the time being.
>You reach the gates of Scarlet Devil Manor. Meiling waves you in without a word.
>_
-
> Head to the library
-
> Head to the library
>You head to the library.
>You find Patchouli has not moved from where you last left her, though you do note the repaired picture sits on a frame at the edge of the table now and a lapful of Basset Hound that she idly pets. Sakuya is also here with a contingent of maids, flitting about and dusting the library. You note Koakuma is sitting near the windows, working on something intently.
>Patchouli looks up at you and says nothing, simply looking at you expectantly.
>_
-
> Greet Patchouli and Sakuya
> Present Satori's letter to Patchouli
> "I also spoke with the Prismrivers. Currently, Merlin and Lunasa play jazz at a new club in the underground, but Lyrica doesn't play with them because she hates jazz."
-
> Greet Patchouli and Sakuya
> Present Satori's letter to Patchouli
> "I also spoke with the Prismrivers. Currently, Merlin and Lunasa play jazz at a new club in the underground, but Lyrica doesn't play with them because she hates jazz."
>Patchouli nods to you. Sakuya looks over at you, then gives a polite wave.
>You give Patchouli the Thick Envelope. She smiles. "Excellent. Thank you very much."
>You report about the Prismrivers. Patchouli nods. "Hmm, not terribly unexpected. I anticipated two of them would bury their differences first. I hope they're no longer at each others' throats?"
>_
-
>"They don't seem to be. I'm working on getting them all to play together again; I just bought a song from Kourindou, one I think they might all not dislike... or hopefully not dislike much, at least. They should be able to play together even if they don't always like the kind of music, after all."
>Play Candid Friend
-
> "They said that they needed inspiration, and I think this song should provide that in some way."
-
>"They don't seem to be. I'm working on getting them all to play together again; I just bought a song from Kourindou, one I think they might all not dislike... or hopefully not dislike much, at least. They should be able to play together even if they don't always like the kind of music, after all."
>Play Candid Friend
> "They said that they needed inspiration, and I think this song should provide that in some way."
>You play Candid Friend. It is...a curious melody, to say the least. Patchouli considers it for a moment. "It certainly doesn't seem to fit into any of their preferences, so it is a start. As long as they aren't squabbling actively, it seems to be a matter of time to me."
>You note that Koakuma seems to be bobbing her headwings in time with it.
>"This reminds me," Patchouli says. "May I see that Red Gem again?"
>_
-
> Present Red Gem
-
> Present Red Gem
>Patchouli looks it over, with her customary frown. "Ah, it's as I thought," she said at last. "That does explain a few things." She looks back to you. "I think I understand it a little better now. As I mentioned before, there is a fire-based enchantment on it, as well as a sort of unlocking spell that I cannot really read. It seems to be a part of a set as well, which is why I am having such a hard time reading its relative strength. That is, there are other items that are connected to it, and would resonate with its if they were brought together. From what I can gather, there are three others. Have you tried to use it?"
>_
-
> Examine Red Gem
> Inventory and examine
> "I haven't tried, how would I use it anyway?"
-
> Examine Red Gem
> Inventory and examine
> "I haven't tried, how would I use it anyway?"
>Red Gem
>This is an oval-shaped gem, you do not know what kind of gem it is, or if it is just glass. Patchouli says that it bears a fire-based enchantment, and seems to be enchanted to serve as a key. It seems to be part of a set.
>Your Inventory contains:
>Dress Suit w/ Stockings (Wore as clothes)
>A professional-looking business suit, blouse, knee-length skirt, and doubled up stockings. What could be classier?
>Cresent Pin (Worn as accessory)
>You wear this to remind you of home.
>Wave Sign: Mind Shaker
>A spellcard where you use your abilities to make twin pattern of bullets seem to go in directions they are not.
>Visionary Wave: Mind Blowing
>A more dense pattern following the same principle as Wave Sign: Mind Shaker. Reality will be terribly distorted to the victim.
>Lunatic Sign: Visionary Tuning
>You disalign the wavelengths of a complex maze of bullets to try and trick your opponent into moving recklessly.
>Lunatic Gaze: Illusion Seeker
>Much like Lunatic Sign: Visionary Tuning, with a more aggressive pattern. It takes all of your concentration to use this well.
>Loafing Sign: Idling Wave
>This attack surrounds your target with bullets, and distorts them, forcing them to make fast decisions to avoid being caught in the middle.
>Indolence: Mind Stopper
>It takes a lot of concentration to correctly apply this card and keep up the stream of bullets.
>Spread Sign: Invisible Full Moon
>Overlapping dense circular patterns of bullets, and alternating their wavelengths to force the victim to see one or other. It is simple, yet highly effective against the unwary.
>Lunar Eyes: Tele-Mesmerism
>This is your ultimate attack, hitting an opponent with two huge waves of bullets, then shifting them as much as you can. It will leave you with a nasty headache and blurred vision.
>Pair of Tinted Glasses.
>These wire-rimmed glasses have tinted lenses; they also make an odd translucent shadow on the ground when light shines through them.
>Beautiful Seashell
>An exquisite cowrie shell.
>Dark Blue Backpack
>A large backpack, perfect for stuffing full of things.
>Faerie Ribbon
>A simple ribbon of cream-white silk given to you by a faerie.
>Raw Lamprey Fillet
>Exactly what it sounds like, wrapped in some paper.
>Bottle of Wind
>A Blue Bottle blessed by Kanako to contain a windstorm.
>635☼
>This is 625☼
>1/60 Scale Valsione Model
>This seems to be a model of a long-haired young woman in armor. But if the scale is correct, she'd be several stories tall.
>Masterfully Crafted Wakazashi
>A superbly crafted wakazashi. It seems a little familiar.
>Red Gem
>This is an oval-shaped gem, you do not know what kind of gem it is, or if it is just glass. Patchouli says that it bears a fire-based enchantment, and seems to be enchanted to serve as a key. It seems to be part of a set.
>Silver Medal (Worn as Accessory)
>This decoration seems to have an enchantment to impart a measure of mental fortitude on the wearer.
>Metal Shard
>A dull golden shard of a broken sword blade. It apparently had mystifying powers at one point.
>Candid Friend
>A song incorporating odd phrases and rhythms, in hopes that it will be pleasing to listen to after encountering it often.
>Vial of Unknown Liquid
>A liquid the color of concrete and the consistency of water. You have no idea what it is for, but you don't think it is a medicine of any kind.
>"I was hoping you would have some insights, actually," says Patchouli. "There are myriad ways to trigger enchanted items. If you are lucky, it'll respond to your will. If you're less lucky, it will require some sort of trigger from you, such as the correct emotional state or an offering of blood. If you're especially unlucky, it will require a command word. Those can take ages to discover. Unfortunately, I think I would need more of the set to be able to divine it without experimenting."
>_
-
> Where did we get the Red Gem from anyway?
> "I'll look into it some more, anything else?"
-
> Where did we get the Red Gem from anyway?
> "I'll look into it some more, anything else?"
>You bought it from Kourindou, along with the Masterfully Crafted Wakazashi and the Silver Necklace. It seems you may have gotten a good deal.
>"Alright. If you do try it, take careful note of the results. Including attempts that get you nothing. Ah, a bit of advice. Don't allow others to try it for you. Some items bind themselves to a single user, and it seems logical a key might do this. Ah yes, something else."
>She reaches behind one of the books and produces a small brooch with an opal set into it. "This is for going to the Ancient City for me."
>You recieve: Opal Brooch.
>_
-
>"Who am I to deliver this to? Satori?"
-
>"Who am I to deliver this to? Satori?"
> I'm pretty sure the brooch is ours now.
-
>"Who am I to deliver this to? Satori?"
> I'm pretty sure the brooch is ours now.
>You wonder if Patchouli is forcing yet another job onto you, before you realize she is giving it to you.
>_
-
*facepalms* I thought it said "This is going to the Ancient City for me"
>Thank Patchouli
-
*facepalms* I thought it said "This is going to the Ancient City for me"
>Thank Patchouli
>"You're quite welcome," says Patchouli. "Thank you for taking the time to help me out. I consider myself somewhat indebted to you now, so do not hesitate to ask for anything you might need."
>_
-
> Quests
-
> Quests
>Your Current Quests Are:
>Revenge of the Buddha vs Yamato
>Prismrivers Comeback?
>Alice's Hookup
>Mystery of the Rabbit
>Cooperative Research
>The Great Ghost Burglary
>_
-
> Head to Alice's to see what's going on.
-
> Head to Alice's to see what's going on.
>You take your leave, bidding Patchouli a good day, and make your way to Alice's home.
>You find a doll standing guard by the front door. It regards you calmly.
>_
-
> Standing guard?
> Ask the doll if we can enter, since we'd like to check on Hina.
-
>And if we can, enter.
-
> Standing guard?
> Ask the doll if we can enter, since we'd like to check on Hina.
>You ask the doll if you can enter. She shakes her head.
>And if we can, enter.
>You imagine it wouldn't be a huge deal to just push her out of the way if you wanted to.
>_
-
> "Is Hina still there?"
> "Was Alice able to fix Hina?"
> "Are they having, erm, private time?"
-
> "Is Hina still there?"
> "Was Alice able to fix Hina?"
> "Are they having, erm, private time?"
>The doll nods in response to the first question, waves her hand in a 'sorta' gesture for the second one, and tilts her head for the third.
>_
-
> "I mean, are Alice and Hina being intimate?"
-
> "I mean, are Alice and Hina being intimate?"
>The doll shakes her head.
>_
-
> Knock on the door.
-
> "Well, we have other things to do, so tell Ali-"
> Knock on the door
-
> "Well, we have other things to do, so tell Ali-"
> Knock on the door
> Knock on the door.
>You start to talk to the doll, then move to knock on the door. Your knuckles tap against it once before the doll tackles into your arm and forces it from the door.
>_
-
>Either Alice is busy in some fashion (Possibly reattaching Hina's arm still), or something bad happened. The doll only answered in a "Sorta" fashion when we asked if Hina was fixed...
>See if there is any response from inside to our knock
-
>Either Alice is busy in some fashion (Possibly reattaching Hina's arm still), or something bad happened. The doll only answered in a "Sorta" fashion when we asked if Hina was fixed...
>See if there is any response from inside to our knock
>There is no response. You don't think it was heard.
>_
-
> "Is Alice able to re-attach Hina's arm?"
> Remember why we needed to go to the Ice City.
-
>"Is she busy reattaching Hina's arm right now?"
-
> "Is Alice able to re-attach Hina's arm?"
> Remember why we needed to go to the Ice City.
>The doll nods.
>According to Nue, that is where Ichirin has been spending a lot of her time.
>"Is she busy reattaching Hina's arm right now?"
>The doll nods.
>_
-
> Ask the doll if it thinks we're only good for our sex appeal.
> "Let Alice know I stopped by."
> Return to Eientei and head to Eirin's office.
-
> Add to that, "Sorry for trying to just barge in like that."
-
> Ask the doll if it thinks we're only good for our sex appeal.
> "Let Alice know I stopped by."
> Return to Eientei and head to Eirin's office.
> Add to that, "Sorry for trying to just barge in like that."
>You ask the doll what she thinks of you. She shrugs.
>You apologize for the barge attempt, and ask her to inform Alice you came by. She nods to both statements.
>You then return to Eientei. The faeries who were at the forest crossroads seem to have moved on, and you encounter no problems getting through the bamboo forest. AS you return to Eientei itself, you can smell the faint hints of beets in the air. It must be getting close to lunch time.
>Entering Eirin's office, you find her noting down some things on a chart. "Hello Udonge," she says without looking up.
>_
-
>Present Metal Shard
>"Patchouli wanted you to examine this for her. I think she had said it used to be part of a sword that had broken. Also, I found this strange vial of liquid at Kourindou..."
>Show the Vial of Unknown Liquid
-
> Tell her about Patchouli's request for her assistance.
-
>Present Metal Shard
>"Patchouli wanted you to examine this for her. I think she had said it used to be part of a sword that had broken. Also, I found this strange vial of liquid at Kourindou..."
>Show the Vial of Unknown Liquid
>You present the Metal Shard to Eirin. She notes a few more things down as you explain, then looks up at it. "Well, it does look to be part of a sword. And it is uncommon to find metal of that color which could be forged into a workable blade. Odd. What else has she said about it?"
>You show Eirin the Vial of Unknown Liquid. "Hmm. I have no idea what that does off the top of my head. Have you tried to do anything with it."
> Tell her about Patchouli's request for her assistance.
>You elaborate that Patchouli was looking for assistance. "Well," she says. "That is a little unexpected, given that Remilia officially disapproves of us. Hmmm. I suppose all I am really doing at this point is busywork, so I can at least test the shard. Can you tell me anything else about it?"
>_
-
> "Not really... But I could always have Rinnosuke look at it. He seems like someone who would know about these kinds of things."
-
>"I could also ask Patchy more about it."
-
> "Not really... But I could always have Rinnosuke look at it. He seems like someone who would know about these kinds of things."
>"Perhaps," says Eirin. "But I find that Rinnosuke tends to be more of a merchant and less of a scholar. As evidenced by his willingness to sell items he doesn't understand himself." She nods toward your Vial of Unknown Liquid. "He can be quite astute at times, I yield, but it's very iffy."
>"I could also ask Patchy more about it."
>She nods. "I would hope she would have told you more than "Make Eirin examine this", to be honest."
>_
-
>Tell Eirin Patchy said
"I wish to learn anything about this weapon she has to share. All I can say for search is that Rumia found it somewhere and it seems to have had a connection to a cosmic horror. Do not worry about the latter part, I can assure you it is inert now and the horror is as vanquished as we can expect it to be. As for the former, I assure you I've quizzed Rumia thoroughly, and she knows nothing, save that she found it around the Forest of Magic some time ago."
-
>Tell Eirin Patchy said
>You recite what Patchouli said to you about the shard as well as you can remember.
>Eirin nods, pursing her lips. "Now I am interested. So we know that it originated from the Forest of Magic, or at least appeared there. And it has ties to something that shouldn't normally be messed with. I'll see what I can find about it. Thank you, Udonge.
>"As for your potion, please get me the wooden box from the shelf."
>_
-
>Get the wooden box
>Hand it to Eirin
-
>Get the wooden box
>Hand it to Eirin
>You fetch the box, noticing quite a few things clinking inside it, and give it to Eirin.
>She opens it to reveal what seems to be a specialized chemistry set. You can identify the flasks and tools with it, but there are a number of powders, liquids, and substances that are simply beyond you. She the vial of unknown substance, and sniffs at it for a moment. Then she inserts a pipette into the bottle and takes out a sample. Over the next few minutes you watch as she introduces drops of it to some of the substances in the kit, sometimes producing reactions and sometimes resulting in nothing. Every so often, she consults a small book filled with charts before trying something else. Finally she drops a bit of it on her finger and licks it. Nothing seems to happen.
>"Object detection," she says, as she sets aside the flasks and tubes that she used, and puts the rest of the kit away. "You'll have to drink the whole thing to get the effect. It should last about...ten to fifteen minutes or so. Do be careful, there is an adulterant of some kind in it. I am not sure what to expect from it, it isn't poisonous but it almost certainly will cause a side effect of some kind. It shouldn't be harmful, but it's unlikely to be explicitly desirable."
>_
-
> "I see... Thank you for that."
> "I have some more business to attend to, so I will take my leave. I'll come back later."
-
>Wait
>Tell Eiren about Remilia's offer. Ask her if it would be a good idea to accept it.
-
> "I see... Thank you for that."
> "I have some more business to attend to, so I will take my leave. I'll come back later."
>You reclaim your Potion of Object Detection (Mildly Adulterated) and thank Eirin. "It's no problem," she says, "I don't mind doing a small favor for you every now and again."
>You start to take your leave. "Shall we not expect you for lunch?" Eirin asks.
>Wait
>Tell Eiren about Remilia's offer. Ask her if it would be a good idea to accept it.
>You stop, remembering a conundrum you've been dealing with.
>You tell Eirin about the talk you had with Remilia. She folds her hands and listens, frowning slightly. "Hmm, I suppose it was too much to hope to avoid some kind of political intrigue while getting involved with Scarlet Devil Mansion. No, don't worry, I'm not upset with you. This is a sticky situation, without a doubt. If everything goes as Remilia plans, I expect it would be objectively fine. But all it takes is one thing going wrong for this to explode in all of our faces. Should you refuse, well, I can't imagine Remilia would take it very well. What are you planning to do?"
>_
-
>"Planning to go through with it, with the express statement that I am not involved as far as the SDM knows, and they won't involve me in future affairs."
>"Hmmm...actually, I wonder if I could get a little clever. Trade Youmu her sword for a painting, and tell her what Remilia has asked me to do, so that they can act like it was 'mysteriously stolen'?"
-
>"Planning to go through with it, with the express statement that I am not involved as far as the SDM knows, and they won't involve me in future affairs."
>"Hmmm...actually, I wonder if I could get a little clever. Trade Youmu her sword for a painting, and tell her what Remilia has asked me to do, so that they can act like it was 'mysteriously stolen'?"
>Eirin nods. "It would take some superb acting on your part and the part of the Yuyuko and Youmu. But, I think they would be willing to along with it. If you are really planning to return that weapon, you could probably claim quite a bit more reward than simply a stolen object, as well."
>_
-
>"Well, I'm sure I can act. It's more about getting THEM to act. The idea is I'm not supposed to be caught so they don't have to pretend to be mad at me, just pretend to interrogate me. And yeah, I'm curious what they'll part with for the sword"
-
>"Well, I'm sure I can act. It's more about getting THEM to act. The idea is I'm not supposed to be caught so they don't have to pretend to be mad at me, just pretend to interrogate me. And yeah, I'm curious what they'll part with for the sword"
>Eirin nods. "As long as Remilia, or any of her confidants, do not catch wind of it, I expect it will work."
>"Should we expect you to be too busy for lunch, then?"
>_
-
> "I'm afraid so."
> Bow.
> Bid Eirin farewell.
-
> "I'm afraid so."
> Bow.
> Bid Eirin farewell.
>"Alright," says Eirin. "I'll fill in her highness on your findings thus far."
>You bow and bid Eirin farewell. "Until later, Udonge," she replies.
-
> Head for Hakugyokurou.
-
> Wait, do we want to try and solve the UFO problem first?
-
> Wait, do we want to try and solve the UFO problem first?
> We can always do that later though correct?
-
> Head for Hakugyokurou.
> Wait, do we want to try and solve the UFO problem first?
> We can always do that later though correct?
>You consider the wisdom of going to Hakugyokurou. If nothing else, you should be able to return to looking into the incident afterwards; Reimu did say she would wait on you.
-
> Let's see, Hakugyokurou or Ice City?
> Let's try the Ice City first. Ichirin's the only one we haven't talked to yet. She probably doesn't know anything either, but better to be sure than to still wonder.
-
> Let's see, Hakugyokurou or Ice City?
> Let's try the Ice City first. Ichirin's the only one we haven't talked to yet. She probably doesn't know anything either, but better to be sure than to still wonder.
>You decide to investigate Ice City, reasoning that it is closer. You return to the frozen lakeshore, noting that the wolf seems to be sniffing around there. He watches you pass by before returning to his business. You follow the path around the west side of the lake.
>You enter the Ice City. City, you quickly see, is something of a misnomer. But there's really no better words for it. There are dozens of icy structures here, many of them simple spires of varying heights that vaguely remind you of the towering buildings back on the moon. Here and there are simple one-room houses, most of them scaled more for faeries than for humans or youkai. Most of the actual buildings have icicle spires and other such frozen decorations among them. You spot the occasional igloo scattered about. A couple of the buildings are large enough for you to enter. There are crude icy statues here and there, as well as snow people and snow animals. Obvious exits are North, South, East, WestA, and WestB.
>There are also dozens, perhaps hundreds, of faeries here; laughing, playing, singing, chasing each other around, and creating a general bedlam. In a couple places, you can see bits of danmaku flying about, but it's nothing to worry about. A crowd of cheering faeries leads you to find Ichirin, who seems to be in the middle of a game of domino with one of their number. Judging from the hubbub, it is quite an event to them. You also note Cirno at the edge of the Ice City, examining one of the spires.
>_
-
> SAY HI TO CIRNO, SHE IS RAD
-
> SAY HI TO CIRNO, SHE IS RAD
>You say hi to Cirno, seeing as her late fall stint as Eientei's musical entertainment and air conditioning has made the two of your something of acquaintances. She grins and gives your a double finger gun gesture.
>_
-
> Return the gesture.
> Observe domino match.
-
> Return the gesture.
> Observe domino match.
>Cirno nods in reply, and goes back to examining the spire.
>You approach the domino match just as the faerie places her last tile and declares "Domino!" The faeries break out into a rousing cheer, while Ichirin gently shakes her opponent's hand. The crowd starts to disperse. A few of the give you general greetings and waves as they pass you.
>_
-
> Say hi to Ichirin, she is rad too
-
> Say hi to Ichirin, she is rad too
>You greet Ichirin, as she gathers up the dominos and replaces them. "Oh, hello," she says, "I didn't think other people came here much. I'm Ichirin, it's a pleasure."
>_
-
> "Its a pleasure to meet you as well. I'm Reisen."
-
>She nods, and gestures for you to have a seat at the table she had set up. "Is this your first time here, or do you tend to stay with the faeries?"
>_
-
> "Its my first time here, though I most likely wouldn't have even noticed the city if not for one of your acquaintances. You see, I would like to ask you a couple of questions regarding the Hakurei/Hijiri affair."
-
> "Its my first time here, though I most likely wouldn't have even noticed the city if not for one of your acquaintances. You see, I would like to ask you a couple of questions regarding the Hakurei/Hijiri affair."
>Ichirin nods. "I'll do my best to try. I've been trying my best to investigate it myself, but I don't have many leads anymore."
>_
-
> "I see. First of all, have you seen any UFO since Tenshi found the one in the Forest of Magic that sparked the conflict?"
-
> "I see. First of all, have you seen any UFO since Tenshi found the one in the Forest of Magic that sparked the conflict?"
>She shakes her head. "To be honest, I've not seen any of them. But, I tend to spend my time either here, or in the clinic in the Ancient City."
>Ichirin frowns a bit. "But, I can tell you who I think is behind it."
>_
-
>"Really? I had an idea as well... who do you think it is?"
-
>"Really? I had an idea as well... who do you think it is?"
>"Most of them think it's Reimu," says Ichirin. "But I'm convinced it's the Moriya Shrine. I mean, they've tried once before, haven't they? And they have the most to gain. And wasn't Sanae chasing after the UFOs too, when we were trying to rescue Hijiri? It just makes sense, if you ask me."
>_
-
> "Now that you mention it, this possibility does make the most sense..."
-
> "Now that you mention it, this possibility does make the most sense..."
>"Mmmhmm," says Ichirin, "but no one believes me. Guess people would rather think ill of Reimu than the Moriya people."
>_
-
> "Mmm... Do you have any other evidence that may back this up?"
-
> "Mmm... Do you have any other evidence that may back this up?"
>"Well..." says Ichirin, glancing away. "Not as such. But it's the most likely explanation still!"
-
>You take the time to ponder things out a bit as you and Ichirin fall into silence.
>If Ichirin spends a lot of time here and underground, and has seen no UFOs, chances are they do not go that way. Presuming she is being honest.
>From what you recall, Keine said she saw one heading northwest, presumably in relation to town. Tenshi mentioned the one she found was heading toward town, on the day the incident was sparked. Rumia apparently found one north of town, and traded it to Patchouli, who traded it to Rinnosuke, who sold it to a rabbit some weeks ago. Mokou claimed not to know anything about them, which suggests she hasn't seen them around the Bamboo Forest. As far as the culprit goes, no one seems to know, but everyone has a theory. Sadly, you really don't have any way to distinguish who is lying.
>_
-
> Sigh of frustration.
-
> Sigh of frustration.
>You sigh. It feels good. Ichirin offers you an encouraging smile.
>_
-
> Tell Ichirin what we know for sure about the current UFO incident, and ask if she can add anything.
-
>Also tell her our suspicion about that strange rabbit. The fact that she bought the UFO from Rinnosuke really links her to this.
-
> Tell Ichirin what we know for sure about the current UFO incident, and ask if she can add anything.
>You share this information with Ichirin. She frowns. "It still has to be the Moriyas. Um. Huh...well...I guess you did better than I did looking around. I'm not much of a detective... So, well, I suppose the best thing to do would be to try to chase them?"
>Also tell her our suspicion about that strange rabbit. The fact that she bought the UFO from Rinnosuke really links her to this.
>"I'd like to think we're friends with you guys," says Ichirin. "Murasa did get to visit with your princess, after all. Maybe she got one of your rabbits angry over something?"
>Pondering this, you don't remember any real problems when Murasa came to Eientei, back in the fall. She was a fine guest. But you also didn't watch her every movement, and some people can be petty, you suppose.
>_
-
> "Please don't misunderstand, I am not trying to judge. I'm about as lost as you when it comes to figuring this out, I just think that sharing information would be good."
-
> "Please don't misunderstand, I am not trying to judge. I'm about as lost as you when it comes to figuring this out, I just think that sharing information would be good."
>Ichirin nods. "I know. Just you've found more than I have. It would be weird, though, if one of your rabbits were responsible for this. Maybe she's working for the Moriya Shrine?"
>_
>_
-
>"From what I know, it doesn't seem to be one of our rabbits, although I'm not sure it isn't. I thought it might be one from the moon."
-
>"From what I know, it doesn't seem to be one of our rabbits, although I'm not sure it isn't. I thought it might be one from the moon."
>"Oh," says Ichirin. She frowns. "...Is that worse?"
>At least she didn't try to connect the moon to the Moriya Shrine.
>_
-
> "I'd say it's worse, but not for the reason you may be thinking. It means that there may be a connection between Gensokyo and the moon again."
> "I'm going to do some more research into this, will you be here all day?"
-
> "I'd say it's worse, but not for the reason you may be thinking. It means that there may be a connection between Gensokyo and the moon again."
> "I'm going to do some more research into this, will you be here all day?"
>"I'll probably go have lunch with everyone at Shou's Store in a bit," says Ichirin, "Besides that, I intend to be here."
>_
-
> "Well, I'll probably see you around then."
> Leave Ice City
-
> "Well, I'll probably see you around then."
> Leave Ice City
>"Alright," says Ichirin. "I'll be learning from the faeries in the meantime."
>You depart the Ice City. Thankfully, the faeries seem to be mostly too busy being involved in a loud game of aerial tag to do much to bother you.
>You return to the northern lake shore. Before you is a vast expanse of ice with a dusting of snow atop it, it is a little difficult to tell the bank from the lake itself. There is a hole in the ice that you made a couple hours ago. Far to the south, past the lake, you can see Scarlet Devil Mansion. Worn paths spit off from the road as it dead-ends at the lake shore, heading east and west. On the western side of the lake, you can see the spires of the Ice City. Obvious exits are North, East, and West.
>_
-
>Go to Haguy...yu... err... THE NETHERWORLD
-
>You make your way toward Hakugyokurou, retracing your steps from the Scarlet Weather incident. You travel through the Forest of Magic, heading north from the latter toward human town. You see that wolf has moved on from the lakeshore to sniffing about the S-bend in the road where Letty had passed out. You pass through human town, noting that school has ended early, and there are a few children playing in the streets. With your Pair of Dark Glasses in place, they do not go out of their way to avoid you You feel much less out of place than usual. You continue northward, past Shou's Clothes and the Byakuren's Tent, and leave behind the town entirely. You pass by empty farm fields, and into the northern plains where few people live, then past the Lily Hill where Medicine lingers. At the right spot, you turn east and head for the mountains. Following them for a short distance, you find a small pass, thankfully shielded from the snow by the mountains, and head into it. Following it for nearly a mile, you come to a small valley where four columns stretch upwards toward the heavens. You walk between the columns, and find a stairway leading upwards into the mountains.
>You feel a sort of electric tingle run over your skin as you start up the stairs. It is dark within the shadow of the mountain, and it grows darker still as you ascend the stairs. Soon, the sides of the mountain give way to a rolling field. Above, the sky is full of dark clouds, so gray as to be almost black. Despite the darkness, you can see rather well here. Barren, leafless trees are everywhere, so many that you'd get lost among them as easily as most would in the bamboo forest. Snow is piled thickly everywhere save for the stairway, easily thick enough to reach past your knees. The air is especially chilly here; you can feel it seeping through your clothes. Ghosts fly about everywhere, attending to their spectral business. Up ahead, you can see the outer walls of the palace of the dead. Obvious exits are north, south, east, and west.
>_
-
> What are we supposed to do here again?
-
> Head for the palace.
> Try to get Yuyuko to agree with your plan on fooling Remilia.
-
> Head for the palace.
> Try to get Yuyuko to agree with your plan on fooling Remilia.
> We should definitely formulate a plan first.
-
> We should definitely formulate a plan first.
> I thought we already did...
-
> I thought we already did...
Well we should remind ourselves of what it is.
-
> Go over the plan in our head quickly in which we ask Yuyuko to give us a piece of "stolen" art from the palace in return for Youmu's sword, so that we can fool Remilia into thinking that we took the art without permission.
Correct me if I left something out. DX
-
> What are we supposed to do here again?
> Head for the palace.
> Try to get Yuyuko to agree with your plan on fooling Remilia.
> We should definitely formulate a plan first.
> I thought we already did...
Well we should remind ourselves of what it is.
> Go over the plan in our head quickly in which we ask Yuyuko to give us a piece of "stolen" art from the palace in return for Youmu's sword, so that we can fool Remilia into thinking that we took the art without permission.
Correct me if I left something out. DX
>You pause on the stairs, shivering in the chill winds, and make certain that you understand the situation.
>Remilia wishes for you to steal something precious from Yuyuko's household, claiming it is the only way to even the balance between the two of them. Then she will ransom it back in exchange for a settle between their houses, and reward you.
>You have considered two options thus far. First there is doing exactly what Remilia asks. She claims she will keep you protected. You don't know the value of her word, but powerful beings tend to treasure it highly. At least, all the ones that you know do. Save for some humans. You've also considered consorting with Yuyuko and making Remilia think that you did it. Which means that you would have to fool Remilia, as would Yuyuko and Youmu.
>_
-
>More specifically the plan involved trading the sword for a painting and something else our little Rabbit heart desires, while letting Yuyuko in on the scheme. And preferably asking they stop the fighting, but I doubt we'll get that easily.
-
>Stealing it sounds more exciting then making Yuyuko and Youmu play along (Esp. since it'll go BAD if they mess up, and Youmu isn't known for brains). Plus, then maybe we can get more out of Youmu's sword :V
>Although, making Yuyuko and Youmu play along is so much more conniving. Its like, being a double-agent.
>Hmm.
>Climb up those stairs!
-
>You head east and climb the stairs, repressing another shiver.
>You reach the top of the stairs, and find yourself at the gates of the palace. But in truth, there is no actual gate, just an opening in the walls with an arch over it. Looking ahead, you can see a well-maintained courtyard, its paths free of snow and lined with leafless cherry trees. A manor stretches before you, superficially similar in style to Eientei, but much more ornate and much larger. It must cover literally dozens of square miles! Some distance away, rising from the single-story manor, and numerous immense pagoda-style towers. You can only wonder at how many tens of thousands of people could comfortably live here! Three large doors allow entrance to the palace, one each compass point. Obvious exits are North, South, East, and West.
>_
-
> Head into the palace.
-
>You step into the courtyard. Suddenly, you are not alone. Youmu stands in the middle of the courtyard, facing you. Her stance is relaxed, but you can tell that she is ready should you try something. She inclines her head in your direction. "Welcome again, Reisen," she says. Her eyes linger on the sword hilt peeking out from behind your backpack for a moment.
>_
-
> "I believe I have something that belongs to you."
> Take the sword out of our backpack.
-
> "I believe I have something that belongs to you."
> Take the sword out of our backpack.
>She nods, mutely, her eyes widing.
>After a moment, she says, "Then you have come to return it?"
>_
-
>"kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinda..."
>"I...sorta need to talk to you and your mistress about something before I so quickly give you back the sword. I think it would be to the advantage of all involved for us to talk before agreeing to anything"
-
>"kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinda..."
>"I...sorta need to talk to you and your mistress about something before I so quickly give you back the sword. I think it would be to the advantage of all involved for us to talk before agreeing to anything"
>Youmu quirks her lips a bit, and tries not to frown due the hopes you obviously just dashed. "She is reading at the moment. I'll take you to her."
>She leads you into the palace by the southern entrance. You very quickly lose your way as she leads you through opulent hallway after opulent hallway. Peeking into some of the rooms as you pass them, you find bedrooms, galleries, courtyards, libraries, and rooms you cannot begin to name, all of them devoid of people. However there are quite a few ghosts floating about, going about their spectral business.
>Shortly, Youmu brings you to a sitting room with filled cushions and low couches. Youmu reclines on a pile of pillows, studying a scroll of some sort. She looks over as the two of you enter, and regards you curiously. "Youmu," she says at length, "You've allowed an armed intruder into my presence! I'm shocked!"
>"She wishes to speak with you, Yuyuko-sama," says Youmu, as if Yuyuko never commented. "about the fate of my blade."
>Yuyuko gestures to one of the cushions. "Please, come in and be comfortable Reisen. I hope you enjoy the winter snow as much as the summer's."
>_
-
>"So...you know that Remilia lady? Yeah she...um...kinda wanted me to do something not very nice to your household. I prefer not to operate like that. More specifically, she wanted me to steal a painting from you all, for...well, whatever you did to her previously. I don't like that idea. But I'd also rather not further the fighting and get dragged into it..."
>"What I propose is I trade this sword for at the very least a painting...and maybe your word that you won't counter Remilia so we can avoid yet ANOTHER incident in addition to the Byakuren/Reimu fight?"
>"Of course, if you accept this trade, we all have to pretend I stole it from you. Well, more specifically, some mysterious thief stole it from you and you are after their blood. If you could conveniently ignore the possibility Remilia is behind it, that'd be best for all involved."
>"So...what say you? I understand this is a lot to ask of you...but to at least help preserve the peace of Gensokyo will you consider my request?"
-
>"So...you know that Remilia lady? Yeah she...um...kinda wanted me to do something not very nice to your household. I prefer not to operate like that. More specifically, she wanted me to steal a painting from you all, for...well, whatever you did to her previously. I don't like that idea. But I'd also rather not further the fighting and get dragged into it..."
>"What I propose is I trade this sword for at the very least a painting...and maybe your word that you won't counter Remilia so we can avoid yet ANOTHER incident in addition to the Byakuren/Reimu fight?"
>"Of course, if you accept this trade, we all have to pretend I stole it from you. Well, more specifically, some mysterious thief stole it from you and you are after their blood. If you could conveniently ignore the possibility Remilia is behind it, that'd be best for all involved."
>"So...what say you? I understand this is a lot to ask of you...but to at least help preserve the peace of Gensokyo will you consider my request?"
>"My, aren't you the schemer," says Yuyuko.
>"I'm not sure if I completely follow..." says Youmu.
>"It's simplicity itself, Youmu dear," says Yuyuko, reaching out to tousle Youmu's hair in a manner eerily similar to how Kaguya does to you. "Remilia wants revenge for our little escapade during the fall."
>Yuyuko looks at you. "You're quite confident that we won't choose to simply reclaim Hakurouken, aren't you? Youmu does have an ancestral bond to it. And she's so very distraught over it." She smiles. "But that is not how civilized people act. I expect you'll want something for your own trouble? Or perhaps your silence?"
>She produces a fan, and places the tip of it to her lips. "It would be quite interesting if Remilia asked you to do all this, simply to so you could expose it and embarrass us." She chuckles, covering her lower face with the fan.
>Youmu looks confused. You suspect she's given up understanding and is just waiting to know what her role in things will be.
>_
-
>"My... how perceptive you are. And what are you offering me in return for my silence?"
-
>"My... how perceptive you are. And what are you offering me in return for my silence?"
>"First I would like some assurance that this isn't part of a greater scheme of Remilia's," says Yuyuko, folding her fan again. "Afterwards, I think we have some things you may like."
>_
-
>"What type of assurance are you looking for? I'm willing to provide whatever you ask if I can. But be warned. I'm not on your side. I'm just not on Remilia's either. I just am trying my damndest to avoid an incident on top of the one I'm already trying to investigate. Oh yeah, remind me to ask you about that after we finish this train of thought"
-
>"Remilia seemed to believe that after this everything would be settled and done with. I simply want to make sure that it will end peacefully."
-
>"What type of assurance are you looking for? I'm willing to provide whatever you ask if I can. But be warned. I'm not on your side. I'm just not on Remilia's either. I just am trying my damndest to avoid an incident on top of the one I'm already trying to investigate. Oh yeah, remind me to ask you about that after we finish this train of thought"
>"Proving good intentions are hard, aren't they?" says Yuyuko, as she lounges back on a pillow. "Perhaps you could fight my gardener and prove your pure intentions by letting them carry you to victory."
>Youmu stands. "I will not ask you for my blade back, but I would ask that you set it aside"
>Yuyuko giggles. "That was a joke, Youmu."
>"Remilia seemed to believe that after this everything would be settled and done with. I simply want to make sure that it will end peacefully."
>"Well, I suppose an oath would do. Or," she looks hopeful, "perhaps a few more of those drinks from the moon? They're quite interesting."
>_
-
>"What kind of oath? And what kind of drinks?"
> Say this with a slight smile.
-
>Could we even GET drinks from the moon...? Perhaps are there some at Eientei, or Eirin would know how to make one?
-
>"What kind of oath? And what kind of drinks?"
> Say this with a slight smile.
>"Hmmm. Any precious oath will do. Loyalty, life, whatever is precious. Just do keep in mind that if you break it, I have full intentions of removing what you pledged. Or if you could provide a Lunarian beverage, and I really would prefer that I'll have you know, I'm not picky."
>Could we even GET drinks from the moon...? Perhaps are there some at Eientei, or Eirin would know how to make one?
>You don't know of any lurking about Eientei. You could see Kaguya keeping a secret liquor cabinet for special occasions, but that's not really likely. You suspect Eirin probably knows how to make a few, but getting the ingredients would be a problem, and brewing is not a speedy process at all.
>_
-
> Opt for the liquor option. Its a hell of a lot safer.
-
> Opt for the liquor option. Its a hell of a lot safer.
>But we don't have any and don't think we can get any either...
>Unless that strange bunny IS from the moon and we capture her or something.
-
> Opt for the liquor option. Its a hell of a lot safer.
>It certainly seems that way.
>But we don't have any and don't think we can get any either...
>Unless that strange bunny IS from the moon and we capture her or something.
>Unfortunately, you are pretty sure that unless there are a number of coincidences in your favor, you are not going to find any.
>_
-
> "Well, I'm not really sure if I could get you some Lunarian Drinks, But I'll ask Miss Eirin, or Lady Kaguya if they know how to make some"
-
> "Well, I'm not really sure if I could get you some Lunarian Drinks, But I'll ask Miss Eirin, or Lady Kaguya if they know how to make some"
>Yuyuko considers for a moment, playing the tip of her closed fan to her lips for a moment. "I suppose that is a show of good faith. Though I would like to hear you vocalize that good faith more directly. It feels more binding that way, don't you agree?"
>She looks to Youmu and says, "Be a dear, Go fetch the sapphire. And...one of the Hokusai prints."
>Youmu nods, and hurries out of the room.
>Yuyuko looks to you expectantly.
>_
-
>Oh derp, we can't leave or else we might be accused of reporting to Remilia
>Ask what the sapphire is for
>Also ask what she means by more directly
-
>"I suspect you will enjoy it," says Yuyuko, smiling over the tip of her fan.
>"As for more directly, just give me your word you're being honest, in both the offer you must made and in your relation to this affair and what you desire from it."
>_
-
>"Um...that's pretty easy. Sure, you have it. Anything in particular you'd like me to swear on?"
-
>Maybe the Sapphire is part of the set with the Red Gem! Or whatever it was.
>"I give you my word, that I am and have been completely honest to you in this matter."
-
>"Um...that's pretty easy. Sure, you have it. Anything in particular you'd like me to swear on?"
>"Oh, that recipe will do in place of a specific oath."
>Maybe the Sapphire is part of the set with the Red Gem! Or whatever it was.
>"I give you my word, that I am and have been completely honest to you in this matter."
>You nurse a suspicion, and give your word.
>"Excellent!" says Yuyuko. "Hearing such things declared is always lovely, don't you agree? Nowthen, Youmu should be back in a few moments."
>True to Yuyuko's word, Youmu returns to the sitting room after a few moments, bearing a sizable Blue Gem, cut into a classic diamond shape, and a framed picture. The Blue Gem seems to be about the same size as the Red Gem you possess. Yuyuko motions to Youmu to hand it to you. It feels very much like a gem should, although it is a little lighter than you anticipated. You aren't sure if it's actually a sapphire, but geology isn't something you're too aware of.
>"Does this suffice?" Yuyuko asks
>_
-
> "Yeah... I'd say this is pretty good."
> Offer up Youmu's sword.
-
> "Yeah... I'd say this is pretty good."
> Offer up Youmu's sword.
>The look of relief on Youmu's face, as you offer the weapon, is quite frankly adorable. She takes it and sighs in relief. You imagine she would hug it if you were not here.
>You obtain: Blue Gem.
>You obtain: Precious Framed Print.
>"Is there anything else you might require?" Yuyuko asks, smiling. "And, would you like to stay for lunch?"
>_
-
>"As you may have gathered, I'm investigating the conflict between the Hakurei Shrine and Byakuren's crew. I was curious if you had any information on this affair?"
-
> "Also, I'm afraid I must decline your offer of lunch. I still have many things to do today."
> "However, I'm glad I could help."
-
>"As you may have gathered, I'm investigating the conflict between the Hakurei Shrine and Byakuren's crew. I was curious if you had any information on this affair?"
>"None at all," says Yuyuko. "I've not paid much attention to Gensokyo lately, save for the festivals of course."
>_
-
>Roll Sense Motive
>Get Bitched out by the parser for talking about dice
>"You're certain? It seems like an incident might become of it, hence why I'm trying to stave off problems between you all and the SDM."
-
>Roll Sense Motive
>Get Bitched out by the parser for talking about dice
>"You're certain? It seems like an incident might become of it, hence why I'm trying to stave off problems between you all and the SDM."
>What. Goddamn right you're gonna get bitched out. It will leave you with 96/96 catness.
>You don't think Yuyuko is lying. But, at the same time, she's proven to be very good at masking her intentions. If she wanted to deceive you, you probably wouldn't be able to tell from just watching her or listening to the inflections of her voice.
>"I am certain," says Yuyuko. "To be honest, I had no idea there was a problem between the two at all."
>_
-
>Sigh
>Explain the situation, try to read her for recognition.
-
>Sigh
>Explain the situation, try to read her for recognition.
>You explain things to Yuyuko. As far as you can tell, this is a new story to her. But, she an extremely difficult person to read. "That seems like it could be a problem, indeed," she says as you finish the story. "I am inclined to suspect those buddhists, myself. Reimu is a little too direct to make excuses like that, don't you think?"
>_
-
>"But Reimu also jumps to conclusions in her directness. I don't think it has anything to do with either of them."
>Explain findings involving the mysterious rabbit.
-
>"But Reimu also jumps to conclusions in her directness. I don't think it has anything to do with either of them."
>Explain findings involving the mysterious rabbit.
>"She does," Yuyuko agrees, "But her intuition is usually quite sharp."
>You tell the tale of the mysterious rabbit. "Hmm," says Yuyuko. "That is fascinating. An imposter of Tewi, perhaps? I suppose the question is whether or not she's one of yours, or an outsider."
>_
-
>"All data indicates an outsider. And I'm pretty sure she has something to do with this. Of course, I'm open to other possibilities. As for Reimu's intuition, she usually attacks two or three people who she happens upon before she figures out the true culprit. I have a feeling Byakuren is just the first person she's happened upon"
-
>"All data indicates an outsider. And I'm pretty sure she has something to do with this. Of course, I'm open to other possibilities. As for Reimu's intuition, she usually attacks two or three people who she happens upon before she figures out the true culprit. I have a feeling Byakuren is just the first person she's happened upon"
>Yuyuko nods. "Perhaps so. But to be fair, isn't she already associate with those UFO things? Unfortunately, there isn't anything I can tell you that would help."
>_
-
>A silence descends over you and the the ghosts.
>"Perhaps," says Yuyuko, "It would be a good idea to talk to people north of the human town? Youmu, who lives out that way?"
>"I know that Medicine doesn't live too far from the entrance to Hakugyokurou," says Youmu. "Um, Yuka's flower garden is also somewhere north of town, but I don't remember exactly where. And, if you go far enough north, I believe you'll find Komachi's dock, though I don't think someone affecting the Hakurei shrine would hide that far away."
>"While you're here," Yuyuko asks, "Is there anything else you would like from us?"
>_
-
> "No. I have nothing else to ask of you. I thank you for all of your assistance."
> Bid Youmu and Yuyuko farewell, and head for Medicine's hill.
-
>"Youmu, show her out, please?" says Yuyuko.
>She then looks to you. "Do please be very careful with that print. It's quite valuable; I daresay it would have a great deal of worth even on the moon. It should thrill Remilia greatly when you bring it to her."
>Youmu escorts you out of the palace. "Thank you for bringing me Hakurouken back," she says. He voice is tense, you can tell she's struggling to keep it even. "I was...terrified that someone unsavory would take it before I could amass enough valuables to reclaim it. That gem Yuyuko-sama gave you for it, I wouldn't think that you got the better of that exchange myself, but she does not shortchange people in her dealings. I suppose it has some value that I don't understand.
>"Still, I feel indebted to you, Reisen. If there is some you need that I can provide, please to not hesitate to ask me."
>With Youmu's words of gratitude, you depart the Netherworld, and return to Gensokyo. The chill here seems almost lukewarm compared to that of Hakugyokurou.
>You head west, passing between the pillars and through the narrow valley once more and returning to the road. Then you head a little further north.
>Soon, you come a familiar hill. You and Eirin have been here several times to collect lilies while they are in season. But now, it is all covered in a couple inches of snow. You see no sign of Medicine, but your eyes are drawn to a suspiciously person-sized lump amidst the snow near the top of the hill.
>_
-
> Check physical condition with regards to immune system
> Approach the lump
-
> Check physical condition with regards to immune system
> Approach the lump
>You're in pretty good health. Thankfully, the lilies are not in bloom at all. So it just leaves Medicine herself.
>You climb the hill and approach the lump. The snow is not think enough to cover it totally; you can see that whatever is under it has arms and legs, and seems to be wearing a dark red dress. It doesn't seem to be moving.
>_
-
>Check status on becoming an aristocrat
>Check amount of favors owed you, for future reference.
-
> Cautiously clear away some of the snow
-
>Check status on becoming an aristocrat
>Check amount of favors owed you, for future reference.
>Well, you could always propose to Kaguya...
>You are owed favors to various by
>Letty Whiterock
>Patchouli Knowledge
>Satori Komeiji
>Youmu Konpaku
>Nue Hojuu
> Cautiously clear away some of the snow
>You clean off the snow to reveal Medicine. She looks at you, frowning just a tad, but otherwise not moving an inch. "I'm afraid the lilies aren't in season right now."
>_
-
>"Have you seen any UFO toys?"
-
>"Have you seen any UFO toys?"
>"Um, maybe?" says Medicine, still remaining more or less motionless. "Why? What's a UFO?"
>_
-
> "From what I understand, they look like upside-down bowls on top of plates, and they float."
> "...More importantly, why were you buried in the snow? Is it related to the lilies not being in bloom?"
-
> "From what I understand, they look like upside-down bowls on top of plates, and they float."
> "...More importantly, why were you buried in the snow? Is it related to the lilies not being in bloom?"
>Medicine looks away from you and down the road. "Oh. Well, I see some floating things a bit to the south west every now and again. Maybe that's it?"
>She sighs. "I'm waiting for the lilies to come back. There's nothing to do."
>_
-
> "Well then, I'll leave you to your boredom."
> Head for where Yuka's garden might be.
> For the love of all that is holy don't touch any flowers if there are any.
-
> "Well then, I'll leave you to your boredom."
> Head for where Yuka's garden might be.
> For the love of all that is holy don't touch any flowers if there are any.
>"Okay," says Medicine. "You know where to find me if you need anything."
>As you leave, you reflect that winter really seems to mellow her out a bit.
>You return to the road, and journey a bit further north, then turn west. The lannd here quickly becomes quite wild and overgrown; no one travels this way.
>Soon, you begin to see snow drops poking through the snow and blooming. These quickly become more and more dense, until the field you are crossing is practically full of them. You do your best to avoid stepping on them; normally you would just fly over them but you really do not want to give the wind any more chances to get up your skirt than it already has.
>After a few moments of looking around, you see Yuka in the distance, sitting on a rock surrounded by snow drops. She seems to be having a cup of tea and chatting with the flowers. It doesn't appear that she's noticed you yet.
>_
-
>Greet Yuka
-
> Attempt to get her attention without agitating her.
> Ask her about the UFOs.
-
>Greet Yuka
> Attempt to get her attention without agitating her.
> Ask her about the UFOs.
>You greet Yuka as politely as you can.
>She looks over at you, and smiles. You don't think it's one of THOSE smiles, but you cannot deny a cold sensation running down your spine and into your tail. "Why hello...um...Rise?" She says, and shrugs. Have you come to view the snow drops?"
>You ask her about UFOs. "What a curious thing to ask," she says, sipping her tea. "How very curious indeed." She looks to the flowers and asks, "Have you seen anything?"
>There is a moment of silence in the air.
>"I thought not," says Yuka to the flowers. "Well, it's not like you to pay attention to the sky." She looks back to you. "I may have seen something, though. But let's consider that later. How are you, Rise? It's been some time." She pats the the side of the rock she is sitting on.
>_
-
> Take the seat.
-
> Take the seat.
>You have a seat next to Yuka. She smiles at you. "How have you been, Rise?" she asks again as she produces a thermos from her dress pocket. Quickly, she pours bright green tea into the lid, which serves as a crude cup and offers it to you. "I wasn't expecting any guests," she says, "So I didn't think to take an extra cup."
>Now that you are closer to Yuka, you notice she has a semi-circle shaped mark on her forehead. Did she have that last time? You can't remember.
>_
-
> "I've been fine, how have you been?"
> Take the cup.
-
> "I've been fine, how have you been?"
> Take the cup.
>You accept the cup of tea. It smells strongly of jasmine
>"Mmm, I could be better," says Yuka. "I had a rather disappointing autumn. But, I did have a little project of mine come to fruitation! I managed to successfully breed a strain of daffodil to have mirrored petals! Sadly, they won't be bloom until sometime this summer, so I am not able to show you any. There were some clippings, but I lost track of them."
>_
-
> "Well that kinda sucks. It sounds like it would be a really nice flower."
> Feign ignorance if we saw it at the SDM.
-
>"Oh, it is!" says Yuka, beaming now. "They reflected light so wonderfully, you could even groom yourself in one!"
>You didn't see such a thing as Scarlet Devil Mansion. But you did see a Vase of Mirrored Flowers on the boss' desk back at The Felt.
>"Now, you're interested in UFOs?" asks Yuka. "I think I've seen something like that a bit to the south. I've never really bothered with them, though. But they do seem to show up there every so often lately. There was quite a to do about them last summer, wasn't there?"
>You sip your tea, and find it is very strongly flavored with jasmine. It's not bad, but a little stronger than you like.
>_
-
> Ponder the damage that could be done if we mention the mirrored flowers.
-
> Ponder the damage that could be done if we mention the mirrored flowers.
>The worst case scenario would be that Yuka goes into a city full of oni and tries to rob and probably mug one of its more beloved figures. You don't know if Gensokyo has had many city-wide riots in its history, but that would certainly have the potential to spark one.
>The second worse case scenario is that she orders you to go get it on the pain of being punched really hard in the face.
>She seems to be in a good mood, though. Maybe you could talk her out of doing anything drastic? At the same time, she is sitting right beside you, she could possibly put you in a headlock before you could do anything. You really aren't sure how she'll react, save that if you antagonize her about it, she probably will not take it very well at all.
>_
-
> Lets not lose Reisen any teeth, I'm pretty sure she needs them.
-
> We could always swipe the flowers and bring 'em back to her without telling her about it correct?
-
> Lets not lose Reisen any teeth, I'm pretty sure she needs them.
>You really like being able to chew things and not have a smile like a graveyard.
> We could always swipe the flowers and bring 'em back to her without telling her about it correct?
>You could probably swipe them if you were feeling inclined toward larceny.
>_
-
> Well its better than causing a riot or getting hurt.
> "It seems that the the UFOs have something to do with the Hakurei/Hijiri feud just in case you wanted to know."
-
> Well its better than causing a riot or getting hurt.
> "It seems that the the UFOs have something to do with the Hakurei/Hijiri feud just in case you wanted to know."
>"Ah. I've not paid much attention to things going on in town," says Yuka. "I am not sure who Hijiri is? I've heard some faeries mention her, she is some very large person, isn't she? Well, either way, I'm sure Reimu can deal with her as needs be."
>_
-
> "She is pretty large, not as big as Marisa, but probably the closest to her size. Right now, Reimu would rather find out who is causing it if it isn't actually Hijiri causing it. I guess she'd rather just figure this out without it coming to blows unnecessarily. Therefore, I'm seeing if anyone has knows about anything suspicious."
> "I'll have to check out that area you mentioned, but I really need to deliver this painting, so I'll take my leave for now. Thank you for the tea, and for the flowers."
> Depart for the SDM
-
> "She is pretty large, not as big as Marisa, but probably the closest to her size. Right now, Reimu would rather find out who is causing it if it isn't actually Hijiri causing it. I guess she'd rather just figure this out without it coming to blows unnecessarily. Therefore, I'm seeing if anyone has knows about anything suspicious."
> "I'll have to check out that area you mentioned, but I really need to deliver this painting, so I'll take my leave for now. Thank you for the tea, and for the flowers."
> Depart for the SDM
>She nods along to your story. "Well, that's very kind of you."
>You take your leave. Yuka reclaims her thermos lid before you go. "Do be careful!" she says. "Feel free to pop by again; I had a lovely time if short time, Rise."
>You begin the long, but mostly straightforward hike toward the Scarlet Devil Mansion. As you pass through human town again, you start to feel a bit uncomfortable. At first, brush it off as just being something of a stranger in town, and carry on. But as you continue toward the Forest of Magic, you cannot deny a strange sensation settling upon you. You can't shake the feeling you're being watched.
>Heading into the forest a bit, you see that wolf once more, digging at the snow near a tree. He looks up at you, and starts barking in your direction. He doesn't seem to be prepared to pounce, just barking.
>_
-
> Turn to the wolf and put a finger to our lips in an attempt to quiet it
> Perk ears up and listen intently to the surrounding area
-
> Turn to the wolf and put a finger to our lips in an attempt to quiet it
> Perk ears up and listen intently to the surrounding area
>Wolves do not understand sign language. But he has gone from barking to growling, Watching your direction with hackles raised.
>You don't hear anything abnormal or threatening, but the wolf's growls may drown out something quiet.
>_
-
> Look around for anything out of the ordinary
-
> Look around for anything out of the ordinary
>You look around for something out of the ordinary. This quickly leads to you looking behind yourself. You can't immediately put your finger on why, but there is something wrong about the scenery behind you. Everything is as it should be. But...there! You see a sort of curious shimmer in the air, about five yards from you. It seems to be drawing closer at about walking speed.
>_
-
>Koishi? Really?
>Use mystic eyes of death perception to detect who this is.
>Alternatively hope your crazy eyes can see her if you focus.
-
> Give the wolf our Lamprey Fillet.
-
>Koishi manipulates the subconscious, right?; perhaps she can make it so you don't notice her unless you actually consciously look at her, but that doesn't quite mean she can turn into a shimmery thing...
>If you can't identify the shimmer, start walking backwards away from it. And if it speeds up, turn around and start running. It could be some eldritch abomination like the giygas bees from Patchy Quest were.
-
>Koishi? Really?
>Use mystic eyes of death perception to detect who this is.
>Alternatively hope your crazy eyes can see her if you focus.
>You've heard some stories that Satori has a sister who walks around unseen.
>You remove your Pair of Dark Glasses, and try to squint at distorted air. You really can't see anything better. So you try the next best thing, and manipulate the light around it a little bit. This turns the surrounding forest purple, and the snow a strange green shade, but you are able to see through the distortions
>You see a white, spectral...being approaching you. It seems to have two parts; one is a hand that is reaching out toward you. The other is its face, or rather part of a face. It looks as though its face were wrapped in a scarf, so that you could only see its left eye, nose, and most of the lower right side of the face; but there is no scarf, just these exposed parts hovering in the empty air. Its features don't seem to be those of a standard human or youkai. They look more artificial, like a statue or mannequin. The way the two parts are placed seem to imply there is a body you cannot see; you think it would be over seven feet tall.
>It continues to approach you.
> Give the wolf our Lamprey Fillet.
>You are a little too occupied to do this right now.
>Koishi manipulates the subconscious, right?; perhaps she can make it so you don't notice her unless you actually consciously look at her, but that doesn't quite mean she can turn into a shimmery thing...
>If you can't identify the shimmer, start walking backwards away from it. And if it speeds up, turn around and start running. It could be some eldritch abomination like the giygas bees from Patchy Quest were.
>This certainly seems close enough to an abomination to you! You back away.
>It continues to approach, but it does not speed up.
>_
-
>RUN LIKE A SUMBITCH
-
>Don't run. Call out to it but back away.
-
>RUN LIKE A SUMBITCH
>You feel like your first instinct should be to run away. But oddly enough you feel...not exactly calm, but not completely frightened either; given what you just discovered.
>Don't run. Call out to it but back away.
>You continue to keep your distance, and call out to the spectral thing.
>It does not reply. There doesn't seem to be any recognition in its eye that suggests it knows you spoke at it. But it is very definitely looking at you.
>_
-
>So, how do I justify thinking this is Jeff K. Anon?
>assuming I can justify that, yell "Jeff?"
-
>So, how do I justify thinking this is Jeff K. Anon?
>assuming I can justify that, yell "Jeff?"
>Didn't Patchouli ask you about that, back in autumn? Did she ever find that guy?
>On a lark, you call the name. There is still no recognition.
>You notice that it's hand, were it to reach you, seems to be posed to grab you by the top of your head.
>_
-
>Yeah, this REALLY doesn't seem like a good thing to be hanging out with.
>Keep backing away! D:
>Try getting out the Red and Blue Gems.
-
>Yeah, this REALLY doesn't seem like a good thing to be hanging out with.
>Keep backing away! D:
>Try getting out the Red and Blue Gems.
>You are definitely not getting a good feeling from this thing.
>You continue to back away.
>You draw out the Red Gem and the Blue Gem. Your hands are now full.
>_
-
> Look around for anything or anyone of use against this thing.
-
> Look around for anything or anyone of use against this thing.
>You don't see much laying around that would be of use.
>It is possible your basic danmaku might affect it, but you would need a free hand for that.
>Patchouli suggested the Red Gem you're holding had some power to it, relating to fire. If the Blue Gem is part of the set, then you suspect that it holds a similar power. You have no idea how to invoke them, but you've also not tried anything.
>_
-
>Try concentrating on the Red Gem.
If that fails to produce results,
>Try to mentally inflict FIRE upon the Specter-thing with the Red Gem.
If that fails
>Try holding the Gems together and hope/pray really really hard something helpful will happen
-
>Try concentrating on the Red Gem.
If that fails to produce results,
>Try to mentally inflict FIRE upon the Specter-thing with the Red Gem.
If that fails
>Try holding the Gems together and hope/pray really really hard something helpful will happen
>You concentrate upon the Red Gem.
>You feel a sort of tingling sensation in your palm; no, in both your palms.
>You...think that you can feel something curious in your mind, like a thought you cannot control. It doesn't hurt or anything, it's rather like getting a phrase or song stuck in your head, but it's not so complex. Rather, it's more like an emotion. A sense of curiosity. You think you can understand that it wants something. No...it wants to know something.
>It wants to know if you accept it.
>_
-
> Ugh... Accept it. Its not like we're actually scared of it. Only cautious.
-
> Ugh... Accept it. Its not like we're actually scared of it. Only cautious.
>You agree to accept it.
>The tingling from the gems spreads over your skin in the blink of an eye, then sinks into your body. Then the feeling fades, leaving warmth.
>You feel stronger now, more powerful than you were a moment ago. You feel as though you could create more complex, more powerful danmaku now. Looking at the red gem, you can feel its power. You feel you could invoke flames with it whenever you wish. You can feel the Blue Gem as well, and that its power revolves around light. You feel you feel as though you could use it to create light from it, or to focus its light into a beam. You feel that you could mingle the power between these two, or affect your danmaku or your spellcards with.
>The gems lift gently from your hands, and begin to float behind you.
>_
-
>Oh God this is gonna be so much fun in serious'd fights.
>Can we figure out if the shimmery thing wants to hurt us?
-
>Oh God this is gonna be so much fun in serious'd fights.
>Can we figure out if the shimmery thing wants to hurt us?
>You find yourself almost eager to test it out.
>You honestly have no idea what it wants. But you can't imagine it is friendly; at the very least its knowledge of social interaction is completely wrong...
>_
-
> Launch some light danmaku at it.
-
> Launch some light danmaku at it.
>You fold your hand into the classic finger gun, and send a barrage at it.
>You've never been able to invoke so much danamku with a single barrage before; there must be at least half again as many shots as normal!
>The bullets, real and fake, fly toward the apparition. A couple shots connect with its hand, causing it to recoil. Its face does not react, but you see its eye moving now, looking around in the wake of your attack.
>_
>_
-
>Try firing FIRE LASERS FROM YOUR EYES FUCK YEAR.
-
>Try firing FIRE LASERS FROM YOUR EYES FUCK YEAR.
>You draw upon the Blue Gem, and find that you could quite easily do this.
>Do you intend to aim at anything?
>_
-
>Well we could shoot that shimmering thing. Just a suggestion.
-
>Well we could shoot that shimmering thing. Just a suggestion.
>Which part, joik?
-
>Well, Lets face it eye to eye and hit it in the eye.
-
>Well, Lets face it eye to eye and hit it in the eye.
>You look it in the eye. Then you focus the light around you just so, then let loose a beam of light from them. For a moment, you cannot see for the light, but you are aware that this contains more intensity than you've ever been able to conjure. You vision clears to reveal the apparition is gone.
>You forehead and the bridge of your nose begins to ache distractingly in the wake of your last attack.
>_
-
>A bit of face pain is worth suck awesome!
>Check around for any signs of the apparition, then celebrate on it's demise.
-
>It did feel pretty cool, but you don't want to do it too much. Still, you get the feeling you've only touched upon what you could do with these gems.
>Looking around, you see no signs of the apparition, or its shimmering hidden form it had before you unmasked it. The wolf seems equally confused by events, as it is looking around, sniffing at the air, and whining. The animal has taken to hiding in some brush.
>_
-
> Give the wolf our lamprey fillet.
> Head for the SDM.
-
> Give the wolf our lamprey fillet.
> Head for the SDM.
>You toss the wolf the Raw Lamprey Filet. He approaches it, sniffs at it, then snaps it up and starts to eat while wagging his tail. You can't help but smile at the scene; it seems your assured the poor thing from his fears.
>You resume the path to Scarlet Devil Mansion. You quickly become aware that the wolf is trotting along a few yards behind you. As well, you have two gems quietly floating in the air behind you.
>_
-
> Continue to head for the mansion.
> Upon arrival, seek out Remilia.
-
> Continue to head for the mansion.
> Upon arrival, seek out Remilia.
>You head to the mansion, paying no mind to the wild predator following behind you.
>Thankfully, he stops following as you draw close to the gates of the mansion.
>"Hey," says Meiling, "Remilia told me to tell you to go up to her suite when you finished that job for her. Just take the stairs up to the tower, and hang a right." She then looks at you oddly for a moment. "Did you know that you have a couple of jewels floating behind you?"
>_
-
>Say in a creepy voice "Yes...the power is flowing through me! YES! I will attain the pinnacle of danmaku!"
>Laugh maniacally
-
> "Yeah, aren't they pretty?"
-
>Revert to normal voice then to say "Oh yeah, thanks ^-^."
-
> Head for Remilia's suite.
-
>Say in a creepy voice "Yes...the power is flowing through me! YES! I will attain the pinnacle of danmaku!"
>Laugh maniacally
>"You shouldn't do that around here," says Meiling with a frown, "Remilia will think you're making fun of her."
> "Yeah, aren't they pretty?"
>Revert to normal voice then to say "Oh yeah, thanks ^-^."
>"Actually, they really are. It's an interesting look for you, makes you look like sorcerous."
> Head for Remilia's suite.
>You head inside Scarlet Devil Mansion. In the Foyer, you see Sakuya is busy washing the windows with one hand, while holding the Young Basset Hound in the other while humming a tune to herself. As you expected, the Young Basset Hound begins to bark at you. Sakuya studiously ignores you, but you are pretty sure she is blushing.
>Following Meiling's directions, you ascend the stairs and climb up into the tower. Soon you come to the top and find a set of open double doors to the west, leading to your goal.
>You enter Remilia's chambers. She maintains a lovely suite, with her own sitting room, dominated by a huge loom, a dining room with balcony, and an expansive bedroom with an equally expansive four-poster bed. Obvious exits are east.
>You see Remilia is in the sitting room, in the process of writing something while cradling in her free hand a curious gem-studded sphere with a cross on the top. She looks up as you enter. "You have good news," she says, sounding more like a demand than a question.
>_
-
> Procure the painting.
> "Here you go."
-
>"That I do. I successfully attained the painting. Also got a few things for myself in exchange for the sword. Does this satisfy you?"
>Say this will slight reproach, but not a whole lot. After all, we DID agree to "steal" it.
-
>"That I do. I successfully attained the painting. Also got a few things for myself in exchange for the sword. Does this satisfy you?"
>Say this will slight reproach, but not a whole lot. After all, we DID agree to "steal" it.
> Procure the painting.
> "Here you go."
>You remove the Precious Framed Print from your backpack and hand it to Remilia. She takes it, and looks over it. Her face splits into a fangy grin, and she begins to cackle. "Oh, this is wonderful, Reisen. This is absolutely wonderful!" She reaches over, toward the wall, and tugs on a small string.
>"Yes, Mistress?" comes Sakuya's voice a moment later, as she strides into the suite.
>"Take this," says Remilia, "and display it properly in the foyer."
>Sakuya takes the Precious Framed Print and examines it. "It will clash horribly with the current decor," she says. "Will that be a problem."
>"Redecorate, then" says Remilia. "Just shift things in and out of the galleries until it's looks proper."
>"Very well, Mistress," says Sakuya, bowing to Remilia then departing.
>"Nowthen," says Remilia, grinning at you, "You've rather warmed our heart today. Please, sit down. The whole moon incident? Forget about it. It never happened as far as we're concerned. And tell me, what can Scarlet Devil Mansion do for you?"
>_
-
>"I was wondering... do you have any Gems that look similar to these? Err, minus the floating."
>Gesture to the floating Red and Blue Gems behind you.
-
>"I was wondering... do you have any Gems that look similar to these? Err, minus the floating."
>Gesture to the floating Red and Blue Gems behind you.
>Remilia shakes her head. "Not that we can recall. We tend not to collect gems, and the few we have are more ornately cut."
>She pauses for a moment. "It would be nothing to assign our librarian to research the matter in exclusion of everything else."
>_
-
> "Well, I asked her about these earlier, but with this new development of floating I think it could warrant another look. Maybe not to the point of excluding other research though, but I appreciate that offer."
> "Shall I go ask her now?"
-
> "Well, I asked her about these earlier, but with this new development of floating I think it could warrant another look. Maybe not to the point of excluding other research though, but I appreciate that offer."
> "Shall I go ask her now?"
>"As you wish," says Remilia. "You need not call upon my favor right now. Save it for tomorrow, or next century. We do not forget our debts. And don't be shy about it, ask anything. The worst we can do is decline."
>"Yes, go and talk with her. Oh, before you leave, shall we beckon you when the ghost princess comes? There won't be much for you to do except enjoy the banquet, but the look on her face will be priceless!"
>_
-
> "Oh yes, please do. I would love to see what happens, thank you. Well, excuse me."
> Head for the library.
-
> "Oh yes, please do. I would love to see what happens, thank you. Well, excuse me."
> Head for the library.
>"I'll send Sakuya after you when she comes."
>You leave Remilia's Chambers, and return to the foyer. You see Sakuya directing a few dozen maids, as they move artworks about. The most notable task is shifting a large statue onto a card. Sakuya herself seems to simply be directing, while holding and idly petting the Young Basset Hound.
>You return to the Library, closing the doors behind you quickly to seal out the bedlam outside. As you approach Patchouli's table, you note that Koakuma is laying down atop one of the bookshelves, out of sight of Patchouli and apparently napping.
>"You figured it out," says Patchouli as she looks up at you. "Well done. And another of the set on top of that. Excellent work. Have you spoken to Eirin for me, yet?"
>_
-
> "I suppose I did, but I'm not quite sure of what this means now. My power's been raised, but to what extent, and for how long?"
> Tell her what we discussed with Eirin.
-
> "I suppose I did, but I'm not quite sure of what this means now. My power's been raised, but to what extent, and for how long?"
> Tell her what we discussed with Eirin.
>Patchouli stares at them for a bit. "Hmmm. Yes, they are definitely resonating with each other and with you. Interesting. I expect you already know the blue one seems to have light-based magic. Please don't use it around Remilia or Flandre. As near as I can tell, they seem to have bonded with you. This isn't terribly surprising, its a standard aspect of powerful objects; it makes the transfer of power more efficient. I daresay you've gotten quite a bargain from Rinnosuke, indeed. Where did you find the second stone?
>You tell her what Eirin has said. "Good, good," says Patchouli. "Hopefully we'll be able to make some headway on that research."
>_
-
> "I got the other one from Hakugyokurou in exchange for Youmu's sword. How many others do you think there are?"
-
>"Two others," says Patchouli. "That much I can read clearly. What was Yuyuko doing with it, I wonder? And...why did she give it to you? Or rather, that particular item, rather than something else?"
>_
-
> "Who knows..."
> "Also, would it be wrong to assume that every major noble household in Gensokyo has one of these gems? Because Hakugyoukurou had a gem, as did you... So maybe Eientei and the Palace of the Earth Spirits has one too?"
-
> "Who knows..."
> "Also, would it be wrong to assume that every major noble household in Gensokyo has one of these gems? Because Hakugyoukurou had a gem, as did you... So maybe Eientei and the Palace of the Earth Spirits has one too?"
>"I'm surprised you didn't ask."
>"We didn't have one, I would most certainly know about such a thing. I think you said you bought that red one from Kourindou? You may be onto something regardless, though. But it does raise a question, if they did have them, why wouldn't they have used them? Given Eientei's efforts to seal away the moon, I would imagine your master would have used such a tool to protect the princess. As for the Palace of the Earth Spirits? Well...I cannot say about them. Satori certainly wasn't expecting to be visited, so I suppose it could be argued that she didn't have time to prepare it."
>_
-
> "Hm..."
> "Say... Do the gems react when in close proximity to one another? That would definitely help search for them."
-
>"I would say you know that better than I do, but it seems logical. Objects such as this tend to long to be together."
>Unfortunately, you didn't really check while at Hakugyokurou. You think they may have reacted a bit when you brought them out to deal with the apparition, but you were too busy dealing with the apparition to have really examined the phenomena.
>_
-
> "Ah..."
> "If you'll excuse me, I have other things to attend to for now."
> Bid Patchouli farewell.
> Head for Komachi's dock.
-
> "Ah..."
> "If you'll excuse me, I have other things to attend to for now."
> Bid Patchouli farewell.
> Head for Komachi's dock.
>"Before you go," says Patchouli, "There is something I'd like you to do to help me help you. Ran Yakumo borrowed a few books from me, some months ago. There is a line of research I had considered about the Red Gem beforehand, but could not follow as Ran had one of the resources I need. Given you've found two of them now, it seems prudent to investigate it further. You need not do so, of course. But it may help me answer some of the questions we both have."
>_
-
> "Okay. I'll look into it then."
> Bid Patchouli farewell.
> Head for the Yakumo's instead.
-
> "Okay. I'll look into it then."
> Bid Patchouli farewell.
> Head for the Yakumo's instead.
>You bid Patchouli farewell and leave Scarlet Devil Mansion. Heading north, you circumnavigate the lake and head back into the Forest of Magic. The wolf, who has not moved from where he left you, falls into step behind you again. The two of you pass through through the forest, then reach the Kourindou intersection and head east. He stops about a dozen yards from the Yakumo househould, and sits down on a snow free spot on the ground.
>You stand in front of a smallish house beside a fenced-off garden, all quite picturesquely covered in snow. Obvious exits are east, west, and north.
>_
-
>We probably should've asked what Patchy needed, ya know.
-
>We probably should've asked what Patchy needed, ya know.
>She needs back the books she borrowed, that's all~
>Knock on the door
-
>You knock in the door. There is no answer.
>You knock again. Once more, no answer.
>Frowning, you give a good long knock the third time. You think you hear some motion inside, and stop moments before the door opens. A bleary-eyed and disheveled Ran stands at the doorway, trying to say something through a yawn. She blinks at you, then blinks again. Then suddenly she grabs you by the shoulders. "Where?!" she says in a low raspy voice, her face mask of fury and her fingers starting to dig into your shoulders. "Where did you find them!?"
>_
-
> "Wha-what?"
-
> "Wha-what?"
>She steps outside, forcing you back from the house, and pulls the door mostly closed with her tails.
>"Those jewels!" Ran says, less quiet and raspy now. "How did you-! Where did you-?! Agh!"
>_
-
>"Ahh, I bought one from Kourindou and then Yuyuko gave me another when I gave her Youmu's sword back! Oh, and they helped me fight off some strange spectral thing trying to grab my head..."
-
>"Ahh, I bought one from Kourindou and then Yuyuko gave me another when I gave her Youmu's sword back! Oh, and they helped me fight off some strange spectral thing trying to grab my head..."
>Ran's jaw drops. "You, you...bought one? You bought one!? In a store?!" She lets go go your shoulders, and slams a palm to her forehead with considerable force. She looks to you again. "You're joking, aren't you? Please tell me you're joking. They were in one of Eientei's lost storerooms, right? Right?"
>_
-
>"No... I wasn't. Although, that's a good idea, I should check there too!"
-
>"No... I wasn't. Although, that's a good idea, I should check there too!"
>"We've been hunting for those for months, you know..." Ran says. "Months. Without a trace. Then all of a sudden, you just waltz in with two of them... Sometimes I think the universe hates me, Reisen."
>_
-
> "Since you seem to know a lot about them, I think we need to have a talk about them."
-
> "Since you seem to know a lot about them, I think we need to have a talk about them."
>Ran nods, slumping into her robes. Then she waves you inside. "Do keep it down. Chen is asleep."
>Heading inside, you see things are more or less as they were when you left. You note that one of the curtains on the north side of the house has been pushed aside, to reveal an unmade futon. Ran has a seat at the kotatsu. "Well, what do you know so far?" she asks through another yawn.
>_
-
> "Firstly, what are they and where are they from?"
> "Secondly, what exactly is it that they do and how long do the effects last?"
> "Thirdly, who else is looking for them?" Describe our spectral encounter that led to us using the gems in the first place.
-
> "Firstly, what are they and where are they from?"
> "Secondly, what exactly is it that they do and how long do the effects last?"
> "Thirdly, who else is looking for them?" Describe our spectral encounter that led to us using the gems in the first place.
>"I'm not entirely sure," says Ran. "My primary knowledge of them comes from Yukari, and some reading that I've done. As far as I know, they're old artifacts, old even for youkai. I suspect they may have been made in a time when Yukari was quite young, from someplace outside Gensokyo. I'm not sure how they came to be here, I suppose the same way anything ends up here.
>"My main knowledge of them comes from Yukari's experience. Some centuries ago, six or seven of them, a human managed to find them somehow. This was back in the bad old days, and she used them to defend the human town from youkai and made enough of an impression that even Yukari took notice of her. She also used her power to take control of the town, and ruled it as a queen. I can't find many details on her reign, but it seems to have been a mixed bag. Regardless, she was quite dangerous. When she passed on, the gems were lost. It seems her heir didn't use them, or perhaps could not use them. Then were lost after that. From what I've been able to gather, her daughter took it upon herself to hide the gems away. It's been something of a passion of mine to try and find them while Yukari is sleeping and doesn't need me around."
>She sighs. "As for what they do, Yukari told me that could invoke many kinds of deadly magic, blending their powers together in curious ways to make even greater spells. Given that their original user lived to a ripe age, I imagine they may last for at least a human lifetime. I don't know if anyone else even knows they exist. Well, it seems Yuyuko had some idea. I don't think anyone else knows of them."
>_
-
> "I think they're somewhat aware. Somewhat. It could just be me, but..."
-
> Try to link the spectral being we saw to the gems.
-
> "I think they're somewhat aware. Somewhat. It could just be me, but..."
>"Go on?"
> Try to link the spectral being we saw to the gems.
>You aren't certain if the apparition is connected or not, but you had not seen any hint of such a thing until you had found two of the gems. You don't think it had been following you for very long before you discovered it, you remember that sensation of being watched very clearly. It's not quite a logical connection, but it seems to be a sensible one.
>_
-
> "I seemed to get the feeling it wanted me to...accept it. Then it started kicking in."
> "Therefore, I have to think these things at the very least ask for 'acceptance'."
> "From the timing being different from just holding it, I think it also makes a 'choice' to propose 'acceptance'."
> "So. I think these things may have the ability to somewhat control who can use them. If not more."
>PRESS, PRESENT?
-
> "I seemed to get the feeling it wanted me to...accept it. Then it started kicking in."
> "Therefore, I have to think these things at the very least ask for 'acceptance'."
> "From the timing being different from just holding it, I think it also makes a 'choice' to propose 'acceptance'."
> "So. I think these things may have the ability to somewhat control who can use them. If not more."
>PRESS, PRESENT?
>Ran nods. "I've found absolutely nothing about their use. Their original owner didn't leave any real records behind, everything is from the observations of others. It might make sense that they can choose who uses them, it would be an explanation of why the daughter didn't use them herself. It might be that only certain people are compatible with them."
>She frowns a little. "You do feel alright, I hope? Nothing too unusual?"
>_
-
> "As far as side effects go, I'm stronger... and while I did kind of burn my nose a bit, that was probably from laser burn..."
> Check, any nausea etc. we're not really feeling?
-
> "As far as side effects go, I'm stronger... and while I did kind of burn my nose a bit, that was probably from laser burn..."
> Check, any nausea etc. we're not really feeling?
>Ran nods. "That's good, I suppose. There's no record of a youkai using them, but it doesn't seem to be hurting you. I wonder, can you control how they move?"
>You still have the ghost of a headache, but a bit more time in the fresh air should help out with that. Aside from that, you feel fine. Better than fine, really.
>_
-
> Oblige Ran and try to ask the gems to float in closer to you.
> If that fails, try urging them in.
-
>"Also, that spectre thing that chased me after I had 2 gems... if that isn't just a coincidence, perhaps it was trying to possess me so it would have the gems. It was reaching for my head, after all."
-
> Oblige Ran and try to ask the gems to float in closer to you.
> If that fails, try urging them in.
>You start to ask, and find that you do not need to, they float closer to you, and settle on your shoulders. You jump when they do, feeling an unfamiliar sensation. It takes you a moment to comprehend it, but you think you understand. You didn't just feel the gems on your shoulders, you also felt your shoulders through the gems. It seems you can experience touch through them as well as direct their motion a little bit.
>"Also, that spectre thing that chased me after I had 2 gems... if that isn't just a coincidence, perhaps it was trying to possess me so it would have the gems. It was reaching for my head, after all."
>Ran's ears twitch. "I've...not heard or read anything about a spectre. I guess it wasn't a normal ghost, if it could reach for you."
>_
-
>"If it isn't a normal ghost, then... I hope it isn't going to come back."
>Quests
>Inventory
-
>"If it isn't a normal ghost, then... I hope it isn't going to come back."
>Quests
>Inventory
>"I understand. Is there anything else you can tell me about your experiences?"
>Your Current Quests Are:
>Revenge of the Buddha vs Yamato
>Prismrivers Comeback?
>Alice's Hookup
>Mystery of the Rabbit
>Book Hunt
>You Self-Appointed Goals are:
>Prove That I'm Not a Useless Rabbit, Good Only For My Sex Appeal
>Huggle Kaguya
>Invent a Base Six Pair of Pants
>A Rabbit and Her Jewels
>Your Inventory contains:
>Dress Suit w/ Stockings (Wore as clothes)
>Cresent Pin (Worn as accessory)
>Wave Sign: Mind Shaker
>Visionary Wave: Mind Blowing
>Lunatic Sign: Visionary Tuning
>Lunatic Gaze: Illusion Seeker
>Loafing Sign: Idling Wave
>Indolence: Mind Stopper
>Spread Sign: Invisible Full Moon
>Lunar Eyes: Tele-Mesmerism
>Pair of Tinted Glasses (Worn as eyewear)
>Beautiful Seashell
>Dark Blue Backpack
>Faerie Ribbon
>Bottle of Wind
>625☼
>1/60 Scale Valsione Model
>Masterfully Crafted Wakazashi
>Red Gem
>Silver Medal (Worn as accessory)
>Metal Shard
>Thick Envelope
>Candid Friend
>Vial of Unknown Liquid
>Opal Brooch
>Blue Gem
>_
-
> "Not really... Only that I released an immense amount of fire and light danmaku when I attacked the spectre."
-
> "And a pretty strong pair of lasers out of my eyes."
-
> "Not really... Only that I released an immense amount of fire and light danmaku when I attacked the spectre."
> "And a pretty strong pair of lasers out of my eyes."
>Thinking on it, you're not even sure if you did anything special to your danmaku, you just created more than you normally could hope to achieve.
>"Well, those don't sound terribly unusual, they're consistent with the descriptions I've read of the original user. From what I understand, the real power in the gems is combining them. I'm not sure how you do would do this, though."
>She yawns again. "Excuse me. Well, I suppose as far as actually using them, there's much worse hands they could fall into than your own. I expect you're looking for clues on where to find the other two?"
>_
-
> "Ah I am actually. Do you have any info on them?"
-
> "Ah I am actually. Do you have any info on them?"
>"Well, I have some ideas, I think. I'm convinced one of them is in the mountains somewhere, it's known that the daughter spent time there, long ago. It might have something to do with the origins of the friendship between humans and kappa, but I might just be filling in the blanks there. I don't think it's been found. The Tengu, the Kappa, or the Moriya Shrine would certainly use it if they could, and not necessarily for its intended purpose. It's possible, I suppose, the Autumn Goddesses may have it, but it seems to be unlikely. I don't think they are even around when it is winter, so I hope not. Chen and I have been searching for it at night for some time now, with no luck. I've avoided asking for help because I didn't want to set off a treasure hunt and risk it falling into improper hands.
>"The other, I think, is underground, as it is written the daughter disappeared under the earth for a time. I've not begun to search for it; the caverns past the Ancient City are a terrible maze. You'll probably have to get a guide, which is another reason I had held off."
>_
-
> "Hm. This sounds like it could be fun."
-
> "Hm. This sounds like it could be fun."
>"It's been frustrating," Ran says. "There's a lot of mountains and caves out there. I've explored them as methodically as I can. But, well," she shrugs, "It's hard to be perfect."
>"Hmm, a bit of advice. It might not be a bad idea to hide those gems so you don't attract too much attention."
>_
-
> Only one place no one would check. Down the shirt.
-
> Only one place no one would check. Down the shirt.
>You consider this, and it would probably work if you were searched, but otherwise it sounds a bit uncomfortable for longterm storage.
>_
-
> Store the gems on our shoulders, under the blazer.
-
> Store the gems on our shoulders, under the blazer.
>SHOULDERPADS OF MANLINESS
>Or, since down the shirt doesn't work, how about up the skirt instead
-
> Store the gems on our shoulders, under the blazer.
>You can do this, but it will make it difficult to deploy them quickly, same as inside your shirt.
>SHOULDERPADS OF MANLINESS
>Or, since down the shirt doesn't work, how about up the skirt instead
>That would solve the issue of deploying, but they would probably get in the way as you walked. And given you can feel through it, it'd been weird and uncomfortable.
>_
-
> Wonder if we could make them into faux hair dressing... Like pins, except not actually pins.
-
> Wonder if we could make them into faux hair dressing... Like pins, except not actually pins.
>They'd be a bit gaudy, but you could probably pass them off as hair decorations.
>_
-
> What about on top of the buttons on our ears?
-
> What about on top of the buttons on our ears?
>They'd be a bit large to be fashionable, but you could pass them off as ear decor.
>_
-
> We can always claim it was Kaguya's suggestion. No one would blame us for it.
-
> We can always claim it was Kaguya's suggestion. No one would blame us for it.
>You could. But you'd feel bad for misrepresenting the Princess.
>_
-
> Equip them as ear accessories and see how we look.
-
> Equip them as ear accessories and see how we look.
>You place them against your ears, over where your buttons are. Looking around, you see a mirror on one of the walls, with model train tracks running above and below it.
>Checking your reflecting, they really are a bit much for your current outfit... Maybe if you were wearing something more ballroom. But they do look like ear decorations rather than free-floating artifacts of considerable power. The gems, curiously enough, are about the same temperature as you are, so they don't feel uncomfortable. Rather like you have your hands on your ears, given you can touch through the gems.
>_
-
> Ask Ran about Patchouli's books.
-
> Ask Ran about Patchouli's books.
>"Oh," Ran's tails twitch. "She wants them back? Well, that shouldn't be a problem. One moment."
>She gets up from the kotatsu and heads toward the open curtain to the south side of the house, presumably her bedroom. A moment later, she returns with a set of three Thick Books and offers them to you.
>You obtain: Thick Book x3
>_
-
> "Ah, thank you. Sorry to have caused you so much trouble today."
-
> "Ah, thank you. Sorry to have caused you so much trouble today."
>"Well, you did save dinner after we spend all night in the mountains and the roast burnt," says Ran. "And, I did get to at least see the jewels, and I suppose if anyone has to have them, you're a good candidate. But if you don't need me for anything else, I think I'm going back to bed."
>_
-
> Refresh inventory, there were a few things in it in the last update that I'm pretty sure we don't have anymore
-
> Bid Ran farewell and good night.
> Head for the SDM.
-
> Refresh memory on contents of Large Envelope
-
> Refresh inventory, there were a few things in it in the last update that I'm pretty sure we don't have anymore
>You are clearly seeing things. Perhaps you have gone mad with power after all?
> Bid Ran farewell and good night.
> Head for the SDM.
>"Good luck. And while I would prefer you not bother me for any little thing, don't hesitate to wake me up if something important happens."
>You leave the Yakumo Househould and return to Scarlet Devil Mansion. The wolf falls in step behind you again, and stops at the same spot near the Mansion Gates as he did last time.
>"Hey, again," says Meiling as you approach the gates. "Got orders from up top, you're to get the red carpet treatment from now on. So if you ever want to stay the night or have something to eat, just ask one of the maids."
> Refresh memory on contents of Large Envelope
>It was a letter for Patchouli from Satori, apparently full of advice for raising a Basset Hound. You delivered it some time ago. Any evidence that you still have it is clearly signs that you are losing your mind.
>_
-
> Head for the library and deliver the books to Patchouli.
-
> Head for the library and deliver the books to Patchouli.
>You head into the library, working your way around the redecorating maids as well as you can.
>Entering the Library, you approach Patchouli and give her the books. "Excellent, excellent," she says. "I should be able to find some things. Is there any particular aspect of the gems that you would like me to focus upon in my research, or would you prefer I do my best to gather as much as possible as quickly as possible?"
>_
-
> "Is 'where they might be' a reasonable option? Ran had some ideas about them but it couldn't hurt to get more info."
-
> "Is 'where they might be' a reasonable option? Ran had some ideas about them but it couldn't hurt to get more info."
>"I'll certainly do what I can," says Patchouli. "What did she think?"
>_
-
> "She said she'd been looking for them for years with no success. She also said that the last two jewels are likely around Youkai Mountain and in the Underground."
> Also mention the legend Ran told us.
-
> "She said she'd been looking for them for years with no success. She also said that the last two jewels are likely around Youkai Mountain and in the Underground."
> Also mention the legend Ran told us.
>Patchouli nods. "Hmmm. If there is one around Youkai mountain, it is probably very well hidden, given how many people live there. It might be wise to ask someone who knows the place for more information, if you intend to go and look before I can finish. Same with the Underground, really. That place is dreadful."
>You tell her about the legend of the queen and her daughter. Patchouli nods. "I suspected that would be the lead I wanted. I've seen a periodic mention of such a figure in the past. These books chronicle the earlier eras of the human town's history. I had not heard of the daughter, though. Well, not in connection with the lone queen, anyways. I'll have to keep that in mind, thank you."
>She pauses for a moment. "If you do choose to go ahead, let me know which one you intend to search, so I can select the opposite to study."
>_
-
>Contemplate if we could shanghai Momiji and Hina into helping.
-
> Contemplate how likely Satori is to help us out, as well. We've made plenty of acquaintances in both places, let's make sure we assess each set properly.
-
>Contemplate if we could shanghai Momiji and Hina into helping.
>Hina is probably still undergoing surgery. But if she is done, you could certainly ask with the expectation of help.
>Momiji doesn't really owe you anything, but you imagine her time with Aya would make her decently informed. She seems willing to be helpful.
> Contemplate how likely Satori is to help us out, as well. We've made plenty of acquaintances in both places, let's make sure we assess each set properly.
>Satori owes you a favor, for certain. If not for the actual rescue, then for keeping quiet about it.
>_
-
> "I think I'll head down Underground first, but as much information as soon as possible would be nice. Thank you for your assistance."
> Take your leave if she has no further questions.
> Head to Alice's again to see how the repairs are going.
-
> "I think I'll head down Underground first, but as much information as soon as possible would be nice. Thank you for your assistance."
> Take your leave if she has no further questions.
> Head to Alice's again to see how the repairs are going.
>"Very well," says Patchouli, "I'll focus on lesser known places in and around Youkai Mountain."
>You leave Scarlet Devil Mansion, and make the short trek to Alice's House; the wolf following you again.
>Arriving at Alice's, you see the door is no longer guarded.
>_
-
> Stare at wolf.
> "Sit."
> Knock on door.
-
> Stare at wolf.
> "Sit."
> Knock on door.
>You stare the wolf a bit, then tell him to sit. He doesn't seem to understand, or doesn't care to listen.
>You knock on the door. Alice answers it a moment later. "Ah, Reisen. I was expecting you to drop in." The she looks down at your fuzzy companion. "There's a wolf behind you for some reason. Is it yours?"
>_
-
> "Not exactly, but he has been following me all day."
> "How did things go with Hina?"
-
> "Not exactly, but he has been following me all day."
> "How did things go with Hina?"
>"Huh." Alice shrugs. One of her dolls brings her a shawl, which she drapes over her shoulders as she steps outside to join you on the porch.
>"Hina is resting now. As far as I can tell, the work is a success. The connections was more intricate than I thought, and she damaged some of them pretty badly, so it took longer than I anticipated. But I am sure she should be fine now, and have full use of her arm when she wakens."
>_
-
> "I'm glad she will be ok, she was left in your care so her being fine is to be expected. ;)"
-
> "I'm glad she will be ok, she was left in your care so her being fine is to be expected. ;)"
>"Well," says Alice, with the ghost of a grin. "I'm not one to boast, but when it comes to dolls, if I can't do it then it can't be done."
-
> "Heh."
> Ask Alice about the Hakurei/Hijiri affair.
-
> "I stopped by earlier and a doll was guarding the door, did something bad happen?"
-
> "Heh."
> Ask Alice about the Hakurei/Hijiri affair.
>"You probably know as much as I do about it," says Alice. "They're bickering over UFOs or something."
> "I stopped by earlier and a doll was guarding the door, did something bad happen?"
>"Delicate repair," Alice says. "I didn't need anyone disturbing my concentration, or I would have lost a lot of good work. Probably wouldn't have felt good for Hina, either."
>_
-
> "So, what do you think of Hina?"
-
> "So, what do you think of Hina?"
>"Well, to be honest?" says Alice, frowning, "She seems kinda boring. I mean, she's not a bad person. She doesn't seem like the sort who would wish ill on anyone. But she seems a bit too obsessed with gathering misfortune, you know?" She quirks her lips. "Okay, maybe not too obsessed, it's important and everything. But...well, when we were talking, at the beginning of her repairs, it was pretty dull to listen to her. I guess that's how it is when you're made with a certain task in mind, though."
>_
>_
-
> "Is that really all she talked about the entire time? She didn't seem too concerned with them when I was with her."
-
>"Well, it was the most of it," says Alice. "She mentioned that bit of creepy forest she lives in, too."
>Alice ponders for a moment. "Maybe she was just too ashamed to talk about much else? I guess she did make a big fool of herself."
>_
-
> "Weird stuff happens when people are wasted."
-
> "Weird stuff happens when people are wasted."
>Alice nods. "That is a point, I suppose. But she should be fine, once she wakes up. I imagine she'll never want to talk about it again."
>_
-
> "Probably."
> "Anyway, I gotta go. Thanks for helping fix Hina up."
-
> "Probably."
> "Anyway, I gotta go. Thanks for helping fix Hina up."
>Alice nods. "Someone had to do it. Um, be careful with your wolf friend there."
>They don't hate each other, that's a start.
>You depart, but to where?
>_
-
> To the Underground!
-
> To the Underground!
>You decide to return Underground, where all the cool cats are.
>You pass through the Forest of Magic without incident. As expected, the wolf trots along behind you. He hesitates for a moment at the mouth of the cavern, then follows you in.
>You are stand in a long section of wide, rough tunnel. There is a spiderweb along the wall and ceiling. It reads "Shop at Kourindou!" backwards; apparently it is directed toward people leaving the caverns. Obvious exits are North and South.
>You see Kisume further down the tunnel, she is sitting against the cavern wall and seems to be eating something from a tin can.
>_
-
> Keep a lookout for bucket-occupying thieves.
> Pass Kisume and head further into cavern.
-
> Keep a lookout for bucket-occupying thieves.
> Pass Kisume and head further into cavern.
>You pass by Kisume, and are relatively sure that you won't find any other bucket-occupying peoples.
>You note Kisume giving your lupine follower a wide-eyed stare as he trots past her.
>Soon, you come to a lonely bridge spanning over a swiftly flowing subterranean river. Up ahead, you can see lights and an old stone gateway that leads to the Ancient City.
>_
-
> Cross the bridge.
> Ponder how hungover Parsee is gonna be in the morning.
-
> Cross the bridge.
> Ponder how hungover Parsee is gonna be in the morning.
>You cross the bridge, and pass through the stone gateway.
>The tunnel flares out into a immense chamber, filled with numerous buildings. Lamps light the gloom, while muted music can be heard echoing throughout. Up above, just at the edge of the light, you swear you can see clouds. You can see a few people milling about up ahead. A street runs along the western edge of town, as well. Obvious exits are North, South, and West.
>Judging from what you saw, she was very deep in her cups. You expect, by the time she comes around, she's going to have a whole lot more to be jealous of the world about for awhile.
>_
-
> Head for the Palace of the Earth Spirits. We might wanna see if Satori has any info on the jewel that could be down here.
-
> Head for the Palace of the Earth Spirits. We might wanna see if Satori has any info on the jewel that could be down here.
>You pass through the Ancient City, and make you way toward the Palace of the Earth Spirits. The wolf follows you, but he looks extremely nervous. Thankfully, seems smart enough not to mess with the few oni that you pass, and the oni don't seem to notice him at all. He does linger a bit around the food stands, but when he sees that you aren't stopping he hastens to catch up.
>You reach the Palace of the Earth Spirits. It is a large, imposing sort of manor that looks more like a fortress than any kind of home. The walls are made of stone and set with stained glass windows. Flat roofs give the the structure something of a boxy feel, and neatly hide any hints of architectural beauty. Moss covers the outer walls, add some much needed color and texture to an otherwise drab and dreary place. Snow stands upon the room as well, taking some of the edge away. The way to the door has been neatly shoveled. Obvious exits are West and North and South.
>There is a two-tailed black cat lurking near the door. It looks over at you idly, then screeches and leaps to its feet! The wolf takes off after it like a shot.
>_
-
> Sigh.
> Knock on the door.
-
> Sigh.
> Knock on the door.
>You knock on the door. No one answers at first, then the door flies open and Satori rushes out past you. "Orin?!" she cries. "What happened?!"
>A moment later, the two-tailed cat appears around the west corner of the palace and runs toward the two of you; you can hear the wolf barking close behind.
>_
-
> "It seems my friend got a little too excited when he saw your cat..."
-
> "It seems my friend got a little too excited when he saw your cat..."
>The cat runs toward the two of you, leaps, and scrabbles up on top of the open door. There is barely has room to balance up there, but the cat is safe for the time being
>"I-I see..." Satori mutters, as the wolf tears around the corner and approaches the door, barking and wagging his tail while the cat hisses at him. You expect that you have a few seconds before he jumps up against the door and knocks it enough to dislodge the cat and either begin the process anew, or catch it.
>_
-
> Take off sunglasses and subdue the wolf with our eyes.
-
> Take off sunglasses and subdue the wolf with our eyes.
>You take off your Pair of Dark Glasses, and make eye contact with the wolf, and give it a good dose off reality distortion. The wolf quickly settles, starts to whine, and lays down, ears and tails flat.
>You hear the cat leap off the door and run into the palace.
>_
-
> "Sorry 'bout that. He's wild so you've just gotta expect something like this."
> Put sunglasses back on.
-
> Pet the wolf gently and in a kind, loving tone tell it "Don't go running off chasing cats like that, ok?"
-
> "Sorry 'bout that. He's wild so you've just gotta expect something like this."
> Put sunglasses back on.
> "You have to admire his persistence, though. When he finds a target...he really dogs them."
> YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
-
> "Sorry 'bout that. He's wild so you've just gotta expect something like this."
> Put sunglasses back on.
>"It's...it's alright," says Satori, who is breathing a bit quickly now. "You did a number on him, didn't you?"
>The wolf raises his head slowly, and looks around.
> Pet the wolf gently and in a kind, loving tone tell it "Don't go running off chasing cats like that, ok?"
>The wolf stiffens up as you pet him.
>"Oh, um...he really doesn't seem to like that..." says Satori. "Wild animals tend to have a thing about being touched. But he didn't try to bite you, that's a good sign."
> "You have to admire his persistence, though. When he finds a target...he really dogs them."
> YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
>Satori snorts and shakes her head. "You're horrible, you know that?"
>_
-
>First
> "You have to admire his persistence, though. When he finds a target"
>Second
> Put sunglasses back on.
>Then
> "he really dogs them."
> YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
-
>First>Second>Then
>Satori has already acknowledged your horribleness.
>_
-
> Save it for later. It's bound to be funny again.
-
> Save it for later. It's bound to be funny again.
>You imagine you could probably make Kaguya dissolve into a fit of gigglesnorts if you delivered it well.
>"What did you do to this poor puppy?" asks Satori, as she kneels down to look at him.
>_
-
> "Ah... Well earlier today, he attacked me and Nitori when i tried to help her move some stuff, and the only way to calm him down was to use my ability to settle him down."
-
> "Brain Wavelength manipulation, mostly."
> ...Hey, isn't it possible to send a jamming signal to mess up her mind reads of us? This is, of course, assuming her eye 'Reads' wavelengths... Not that we'd need to worry, but I can think of things we'd want to keep to ourselves.
-
> "If I didn't try something, he could have bumped the door, knocked Orin down, and that would either start the chase all over, quite possibly with Damaku involved, or result in Orin being caught. I'd hate to see what would have happened if he caught Orin."
> Lets try to get back to business.
> "As you can probaby tell, due to being able to read minds and all, I didn't just come here to scare Orin through use of a wolf."
-
> "Ah... Well earlier today, he attacked me and Nitori when i tried to help her move some stuff, and the only way to calm him down was to use my ability to settle him down."
>She nods, and clicks her tongue a few times to get the wolf's attention. "Who's a hungry boy?" she says to him, "Who's a hungry boy?"
> "Brain Wavelength manipulation, mostly."
> ...Hey, isn't it possible to send a jamming signal to mess up her mind reads of us? This is, of course, assuming her eye 'Reads' wavelengths... Not that we'd need to worry, but I can think of things we'd want to keep to ourselves.
>She nods again.
>You consider trying to mess with Satori's mind reading. "I'd rather you not try," she says, "I got a good dose of what you did to the wolf."
> "If I didn't try something, he could have bumped the door, knocked Orin down, and that would either start the chase all over, quite possibly with Damaku involved, or result in Orin being caught. I'd hate to see what would have happened if he caught Orin."
> Lets try to get back to business.
> "As you can probaby tell, due to being able to read minds and all, I didn't just come here to scare Orin through use of a wolf."
>"Oh, I understand that," says Satori. "I meant before. He's become quite fascinated and frightened of you. I don't think he's ever met anything that smells like a rabbit before that's so directly overwhelmed him."
>"Ah, I can now," says Satori. "I tend to only catch surface thoughts, unless I try to dig a bit deeper. You're after...oh, Maya?"
>_
-
> "Maya?"
-
> "Maya?"
>Satori nods, not looking away from the wolf. "She was a human who came down here some centuries ago. She was quite an impressive figure, I remember her clearly.
>"Oh, I see. You've made this poor puupy curious! No wonder he's following you. You beat him up, then you fed him. His little world has been turned completely upside down! You silly little roly pup! You're wondering if she has a pack, aren't you? Aren't you?"
>_
-
> "Soooo... he's wondering if I'm like a pack leader or part of a pack or something? If living at Eientei counts, then I guess..."
-
> "And technically being the alpha bunny..."
> Make a note to try and discover less harmful wavelength manipulation methods, if its that bad...
-
> "Soooo... he's wondering if I'm like a pack leader or part of a pack or something? If living at Eientei counts, then I guess..."
>"The former, I think," says Satori, as she tilts her head at the wolf. "It seems he's decided you must be a powerful leader. Hmmm. I may be able to help you manage him a bit better, if you want."
> "And technically being the alpha bunny..."
> Make a note to try and discover less harmful wavelength manipulation methods, if its that bad...
>"He doesn't know what you are, I don't think. Only that you have a rabbit smell. I don't think he understands youkai very well.
>You think you just went a little too far in messing with his senses to keep him from getting the cat. You make a mental note not to be so hard on him in the future.
>_
-
> "I think you helping me manage him would be extremly helpful, I don't want to end up doing something bad to him, he's cute and he's a doggy, I like cute and kinda like doggies :)."
-
> "I think you helping me manage him would be extremly helpful, I don't want to end up doing something bad to him, he's cute and he's a doggy, I like cute and kinda like doggies :)."
>Admittedly, it is nice to have a canine that isn't barking at you the whole time.
>She nods. "It'll take me some time, but I think I've convinced him to stay here and that you'll come back for him."
>"As for your other questions, I am not sure what Maya did with the gems. This was the first place she came, and she visited me before she got rid of any of them. She wanted to drop them in Former Hell, but changed her mind when she learned that it wouldn't have made them very secure. I think she decided to ask people in town for better ideas after that, I never saw her again. I would ask people who have been around here a long time, they might know better than I do."
>_
-
> "So ask people like Yuugi, Kisume, Parsee, and Yamame?"
-
>"I know Yuugi's been here for a long time," says Satori. "So has Parsee. The others, I'm not so sure about. There's probably who've been down here long enough to remember Maya, too."
>_
-
> "Would your sister know anything? Or any of your pets?"
-
> "Would your sister know anything? Or any of your pets?"
>"I've not see Koishi for a very long time," says Satori, "I can't tell you anything about her. Okuu and Orin are unlikely to know anything, they're much too young. I would think if they found a gem, they would take it."
>_
-
> "I see... Well thanks for the info. I'll see if I can find someone who knows anything."
> Bid Satori farewell.
-
> "I see... Well thanks for the info. I'll see if I can find someone who knows anything."
> Bid Satori farewell.
>You bid Satori farewell. She nods. "Come back after you're done searching for the gem. I should have this little guy through finishing school by then."
>_
-
> Nod.
> Head for the Felt and ask around to see if we can find Yuugi.
-
> Nod.
> Head for the Felt and ask around to see if we can find Yuugi.
>You return to The Felt. The restaurant area is full to bursting now, with waiters gliding between tables and the general babble of conversation making it hard to say much of anything. The band plays on in the back, Lyrica having joined with her sisters.
>Asking around, you learn that Yuugi has left for the day and is "down for the count", in the staff's exact words. She'll probably be back sometime in the early evening to post-midnight.
>_
-
> Head for the Underground's bridge.
> See if Parsee is willing to converse in her state.
-
> Head for the Underground's bridge.
> See if Parsee is willing to converse in her state.
>You return to the subterranean river. The bridge is still empty. Looking below it, you can't tell if the house is empty or not. There are no lights on, but if Parsee is asleep there would be a reason for that.
>_
-
> Knock on the door just in case.
-
> Contemplate how easily you could make Parsee your mind slave.
-
> Knock on the door just in case.
>You knock on the door.
>"Jussa minute..." comes a voice inside.
> Contemplate how easily you could make Parsee your mind slave.
>Not easily at all. Such things are quite far beyond your abilities.
>As you consider things, the door opens. Yuugi stands there, wearing a half-knotted, mostly closed ratty pink bathrobe. She leans on the door frame, and squints at you. "Yeah wha?" she says.
>_
>_
-
> Welp we shoulda expected that. Act like we did.
> Be kind and apologize for the bit of inconvenient timing, but also explain whats going on.
-
> Welp we shoulda expected that. Act like we did.
> Be kind and apologize for the bit of inconvenient timing, but also explain whats going on.
>This really doesn't surprise you as much it would in similar cases with other people. At least you have a better idea what Yuugi was trying to hush up back when you caught them leaving The Felt.
>You apologize for the poor timing. "Yeah yeah, salrigh', thanks." Yuugi answers.
>You try to explain the story as concisely as possible. Yuugi nods, her eyes going in and out of focus and wandering sometimes. "Fuck that's a lotta words," she says at length. "So you're looking for some jewels some human dumped a while back? Uh...I don't know anyone like- wait! You mean Asskicker, right?"
>_
-
> "I heard her name was Maya, but she might have easily taken up that nickname. In fact, I'd probably bet on it."
-
> "Asskicker?"
> Wonder how strong this human actually was.
-
> Ponder who might be suitable partners for us.
-
> "Asskicker?"
> Wonder how strong this human actually was.
> "I heard her name was Maya, but she might have easily taken up that nickname. In fact, I'd probably bet on it."
>"Yeah, that sounds about right." says Yuugi, grinning warming up to the topic. "Zoggin' hell, that was back in the day. But I remember her real good. Came into the City, just as natural as could be. That was back when y' just didn't do that kind of thing, see? So I figured I'd kidnap her. Been a while since thing, see? So I go up to her and give her the whole, 'You're mine, puny human!' spiel. And know what she does? Just says 'Okay' and had at me with that zogging sword of hers! Wasn't even one of those special ones, just the kind any old good blacksmith can make. Got me pretty bad, too. Finally, though, I get the sword away from her, and I'm thinking, 'Ha! She's mine now'. Then she went and bloody well decks me right in the tit! Don't even want to think what the look on my face must've been. Anyways, I still had her. But she went down swinging, I'll have you know. I won, but hell if I didn't need to get patched up too. Good enough to be called asskicker if she can go toe to toe with me for awhile, so far as I'm concerned!"
> Ponder who might be suitable partners for us.
>It's probably rude to consider things like that when talking with someone you just kicked out of bed.
>_
-
> We didn't kick, we knocked.
> "Did Asskicker have any kind of gems on her that you remember?"
-
> We didn't kick, we knocked.
> "Did Asskicker have any kind of gems on her that you remember?"
>"Yeah, I think she was looking to hide 'em somewhere. I know she dumped off one. Said she put it where she didn't think anyone was likely to get to it. Why're you asking?"
-
> Consider if Yuugi has a good motive for beating us up for the gems, for reasons other than power.
-
> Consider if Yuugi has a good motive for beating us up for the gems, for reasons other than power.
>You consider if Yuugi would take them. As far as you know, if she wanted them originally, she probably could have claimed them for winning the fight. You're not sure if she even can take them from you now. Well, unless she tries to sever the connection between you and them by tearing your head off. But you don't think that's her style.
>_
-
> "We're helping conduct some research on them, and Satori mentioned that you might know about Maya."
-
>You consider if Yuugi would take them. As far as you know, if she wanted them originally, she probably could have claimed them for winning the fight. You're not sure if she even can take them from you now. Well, unless she tries to sever the connection between you and them by tearing your head off. But you don't think that's her style.
>_
>Yuugi nods. "Huh. What kinda research? Only that she said she didn't want them falling into the wrong hands and stuff."
>_
-
> "Apperently theirs sumthin special about them. I don't really know what though."
-
> "Apperently theirs sumthin special about them. I don't really know what though."
>Yuugi frowns. Whether it is at your explanation or your miming of her hung-overness, you don't know. "I dunno... she said it's bad if someone like...I dunno...Utsuho got her hands on them."
>_
-
> "...That would be correct, no doubt they could cause grievous harm in the wrong hands. I can assure you, however, I don't have any ill intent. These gems simply are something I wish to understand, not to use for any terrible purposes."
-
> "...That would be correct, no doubt they could cause grievous harm in the wrong hands. I can assure you, however, I don't have any ill intent. These gems simply are something I wish to understand, not to use for any terrible purposes."
>"Well...um...alright. Just keep it a secret or I'll pitch you a beating every day til you get them hid twice as good, got it? Anyways, she said she put them someplace where nobody goes. And I'm pretty sure I know what she meant. She probably put it where the Oni Eater lives."
>_
-
>"...the Oni Eater?"
-
>"...the Oni Eater?"
>Yuugi nods. "Yeah, can't tell you much about it. Only it lives up to the name. But its caverns is pretty much the one place we don't go, since the bleedin' thing will get ya. But if she hid something so it can't be found, I'd bet my horn that's where she put it at. But I'm not gonna tell you not to go, just don't expect nobody to give you a funeral if it gets you."
>"Anyways, you find it going west of the city, like. And...uh..." Yuugi moves her hands, probably trying to express directions, pausing every couple seconds. "...Go ask Nue, my zogging head hurts. She's got maps."
>_
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> "Does the Oni Eater only eat Oni, or is it called Oni Eater cause it's that powerful?"
-
> "Does the Oni Eater only eat Oni, or is it called Oni Eater cause it's that powerful?"
>"Pretty sure it's both," says Yuugi. "Don't fancy it'll turn its nose up at other things, though."
>_
-
> Thank her for her time and apologize for bothering her.
> Head for Nue's tavern.
-
> Thank her for her time and apologize for bothering her.
> Head for Nue's tavern.
>"Well, salright I guess." says Yuugi as she heads back in. "Haven't thought about Asskicker in forever."
>You leave the bridge, and return to the Ancient City and head for Nue's Tavern.
>Entering it, you see business has picked up a bit with the lunch crowd crowd; there are a good half-dozen oni here now. Nue nods to you as you enter.
>_
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> "Hiya Nue! Mind if I ask you some questions?"
-
> "Hiya Nue! Mind if I ask you some questions?"
>"I suppose," says Nue, as she leans on the bar.
>_
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> "I hear that you have maps of the Underground. I'm looking for a cave that supposedly the home of the 'Oni Eater' so I want to try and find it on the maps."
-
> "I hear that you have maps of the Underground. I'm looking for a cave that supposedly the home of the 'Oni Eater' so I want to try and find it on the maps."
>Nue frowns deeply "Reisen, you don't wanna go there," she says. "Trust me. You really, really don't want to go there. That thing's been around as long as any of us can remember, and no one who's tried to beat it comes back. No one. And it only messes with people who go in its domain, so there's no real reason to even try it except bravado."
-
> Marvel that the oni in the room did not react to this declaration
-
> Marvel that the oni in the room did not react to this declaration
>They're probably not paying attention. It's not as though you declared it at the top of your lungs.
>_
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> "I'll be honest Nue: do you see these gems I'm wearing on my ears? There are 4 of them, and one is supposedly down here. It was hidden some place where no one would ever find it, and that's the best place. I'm not going in just for bravado, I'm going in to get that gem, and I'll be going in with a plan because I will be coming back out. So, can you show me where it is?"
-
> "Also, if your could spare details on this beast, that would make things easier for me. Weaknesses, things it would put all attention on, ignoring even a potential threat maybe?"
-
things it would put all attention on, ignoring even a potential threat
Master Blech, anyone?
..... Can't think of anything for > _.
-
> "I'll be honest Nue: do you see these gems I'm wearing on my ears? There are 4 of them, and one is supposedly down here. It was hidden some place where no one would ever find it, and that's the best place. I'm not going in just for bravado, I'm going in to get that gem, and I'll be going in with a plan because I will be coming back out. So, can you show me where it is?"
>"I thought those looked weird on you..." says Nue. "Well, alright, if you have a reason. Just...don't fight that thing. I don't know if you can run from it and get away, but I am pretty sure you can't fight it. Gimme a couple minutes, I need to find the right map."
>She leaves the bar and disappears through a door into the back. A few minutes pass before she returns, bearing a rolled up paper. "I'll rent this to you, for 500☼" Nue says, playing the paper on the bar and unrolling it. "If you get it back to me, I'll give you...let's say 450☼ back, alright?"
>The map is fairly large, and you can quickly tell it's not complete, several spots run off the page. You pick out the Ancient city on it pretty quick, and a sizable blacked in area that simply reads, "No return." The path between the two is complex enough that you can't immediately pick it out. You aren't sure you can memorize it if you did know it.
>"Sound okay to you?"
> "Also, if your could spare details on this beast, that would make things easier for me. Weaknesses, things it would put all attention on, ignoring even a potential threat maybe?"
>"If we knew any weaknesses, we'd probably not worry so much about it," says Nue. "No one's seen it and live to tell the tale. All I can really say for sure is this is it's home," she gestures toward the blacken part of the map. "I've got no idea how large or small that is, just that no one's ever been able to tell me what's there, and I don't have the heart to go further myself. There's a story that you can smell lightning in the air when it's close, but anyone who tells that story never met it. But I wouldn't hang around if I smelled it. There's also a story that it's something that crawled out of Former Hell, but, well, no way to confirm it."
>_
-
>Get the legos, we're going in.
>Don't do this yet, in case other questions need to be asked.
-
> "Well. You think it has a brain?"
> Screw Tewi, We're the ones with a real mind hax.
-
> "Well. You think it has a brain?"
> Screw Tewi, We're the ones with a real mind hax.
>"Probably," says Nue. "I can't imagine it's been so successful without one."
>_
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> "You'd be surprised..."
> Make a note to not take it on directly, then. If its not some kind of brainless freak, we can just trick it instead.
-
> "You'd be surprised..."
> Make a note to not take it on directly, then. If its not some kind of brainless freak, we can just trick it instead.
>"I suppose it could be some magic thing. I dunno. No one does."
>"So, you interested in the map? Because you're gonna want it if you don't know the passages well. You'll probably want a light, as well, it gets darker the deeper in your go."
>This seems like a good course of action no matter what you try.
>_
-
>Take the map, pay the rent.
>"It's alright, I've learned some light magic."
>Might as well try if it is possible to create an orb of light on our hands right now.
-
>Take the map, pay the rent.
>"It's alright, I've learned some light magic."
>Might as well try if it is possible to create an orb of light on our hands right now.
>You give Nue 500☼.
>You obtain: Map of Western Underground.
>You take a moment to concentrate and draw upon the Blue Gem's power while Nue is counting the money. It responds eagerly, and you feel the power pooling and tingling in your palms, then coalescing into a small sphere of light. You realize, however, when you stop concentrating upon the sphere, it'll begin to fade away. But you also feel it you let the gem itself shine, you wouldn't have to concentrate to maintain the glow.
>"Neat trick," Nue says.
>_
-
> Now can we ponder potential partners?
-
> Now can we ponder potential partners?
>Yeah sure.
>You ponder who you might be able to get to help you that would also be helpful. Patchouli is too busy researching on your behalf, and you suspect Remilia would probably make things worse. Eirin is busy, and while Kaguya is certainly skilled in defending herself, you don't know if she would be a good hunter. You can't imagine anyone underground would help you, given the thing's reputation. Youmu might help, but she is some distance away, and Yuyuko might not allow for it. You doubt anyone on Youkai Mountain would care to come down here, and the people in human town have their own individual issues to deal with.
>There's a couple possibilities, but none of them see especially bright. Youmu and Remilia seem most likely. The other problem is that you aren't used to fighting along side others, save for your old squad. Gensokyoans certainly don't fight like that. As well, you really aren't too used to the gems yet, you aren't certain if it would be a good idea to work with others until you are. And they would also have to hold back on your behalf, likely.
>_
-
> Dismiss the idea of a partnership for now.
> Head for the outskirts of the Underground City.
> Take off sunglasses before heading into the tunnels.
-
> Dismiss the idea of a partnership for now.
> Head for the outskirts of the Underground City.
> Take off sunglasses before heading into the tunnels.
>You follow the the map's directions, and come to the Northwestern part of town. To the South a bit, you can see the revitalized neighborhood where The Felt lays. Ahead of you, to the west, you see a tunnel leading away from the Ancient City, and into the gloomier depths of the Underground. Without a proper light, it will be hard to see. Obvious exits are east, west, and south.
>You remove your Pair of Dark Glasses. It alleviates the problem of the darkened tunnels a little bit, but you're still going to need some light it.
>_
-
> We can just use the light sphere from the sapphire can't we?
> If affirmative, press on towards the tunnels.
-
> We can just use the light sphere from the sapphire can't we?
> If affirmative, press on towards the tunnels.
>Indeed you can, it is merely a matter of using it.
>You head into the tunnels, and let the gems float freely again. With a thought, the Blue Gem begins to shed a steady light, brightening the cavern around you and giving you than enough light to read the map by.
>You begin to pick your way through the tunnels, referring to the map often. Thankfully, the terrain usually isn't too bad, and you're able to fly over the few rough spots that you find. the tunnels twist and contract sometimes widening into chambers and periodically narrowing enough that you have to turn sideways to slip through. Thankfully, aside from panicking some bats at one point and periodically having to push through some cobwebs, you don't run into anything remotely dangerous. Really, the only danger is losing your way after making the fifth or twelfth turn.
>You spend perhaps half an hour picking your way through the tunnels, before you draw close to the darkened area on the map. You find yourself faced with a choice. Do you take the northwestern or southwestern tunnel into it? Both seem to be equally accessible, but the northwestern route seems like it will take you slightly longer to get to.
>_
-
> Take the northwestern route. There may be something up with it due to its length.
-
> Northwestern route. Longer routs always lead to somewhere useful.
-
> Take the northwestern route. There may be something up with it due to its length.
> Take the northwestern route. There may be something up with it due to its length.
>You decide there's gotta be some benefit to taking the long way.
-
>Whups, there's a pit.