Maidens of the Kaleidoscope
~Beyond the Border~ => Rumia's Party Games => Mystia's Stored Games => Topic started by: Hello Purvis on October 19, 2010, 05:04:08 PM
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You are Iku Nagae, Gensokyo's premier messenger and dancer, and the sky has fallen!
>You do not know how, or why, but Bhava-Arga has fallen from the sky and now hovers scant yards over the surface of Gensokyo. This has caused numerous problems. On top of this, Tenshi has run off after stealing the Sword of Hisou. This has made her a primary suspect in the eyes of many. including yourself at one point.
>You are an oarfish youkai in service to the Dragon Palace. As a resident of Bhava-Agra, you bear a status similar to that of a Celestial, and are considered a minor functionary in the Celestial Bureaucracy that makes certain the known universe runs as it should, with all the rights privileges, and duties that come with this position. You are in the service of The Dragon, who reigns quietly as the highest god of this realm, and is among the highest beings in the universe. It regards you well, and you think of it as a guardian.
>While your duties and position suggest your place is in Bhava-Agra, you have a tendency to roam to other places. You somewhat blame this on Tenshi Hinanai, whom you have unfortunately been charged with keeping out of significant trouble, and her tendency to visit Gensokyo whenever possible. You are well-know for your love of dance, and excellence in performing it; oftentimes you've been asked to star in performances given at the Dragon Palace. Others have styled you the Dance Empress, particularly those who would try to claim that title for themselves. You are, as far as you know, well regarded by everyone you know and are welcome practically anywhere in Gensokyo, save perhaps for Higan. The only real black spot in your days is periodically having to deal with Tenshi's chicanery.
>You have been tasked by The Dragon in dealing with this incident. You have taken some stock of the damage surrounding the fall. You have found that Bhava-Agra's food supply has been badly affected by these events. You have been tasked with delivering messages for Patchouli. You have had bad run ins with Marisa and Reimu; and nearly had one with Sanae. You have found Tenshi hiding in the Ancient City, became convinced of her innocence, convinced her to join you, and left her behind in the Human Village. You've discovered that the islands of Bhava-Agra do not cast proper shadows.
>You are currently speaking to a Celestial on a forested isle over the Forest of Magic, where one of Tenshi's siblings is staying.
> Would the Hinanai clan know if the Sword of Hisou had been stolen?
>You don't think they would know, unless someone told them.
>"Yes, I imagine there might be. I was with her when the islands fell, and again for some time since. I do not believe she is responsible for the current state of affairs, if that's what you're implying; I understand why people might suspect as much. As for her health, she also had an altercation with Marisa, but is in decent shape at the moment. With regards to the rest of the family, I have only met her mother, who is well."
>She nods. "That is good to hear. I'll make sure she knows."
>_
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> Post in new thread before parser.
No. It messes with the archiving. Because I say so.
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It was only ever intended to be a one-shot gag anyway.
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>"Very good then. I am glad things seem to be as well here as can be expected, given the circumstances. I should return and continue my investigation into the cause of the fall. Thank you, and be well."
>Head to the human village
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>"Very good then. I am glad things seem to be as well here as can be expected, given the circumstances. I should return and continue my investigation into the cause of the fall. Thank you, and be well."
>Head to the human village
>The Celestial nods. "Alright."
>You leave the island, and fly back toward the human village. It is more or less as it was before; some youkai and faeries around the island, and the people below going about their business.
>_
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>Head to the tavern
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>Head to the tavern
>You head to the tavern.
>Inside, you can see quite a few farmers and townsfolk at the tables and booths. There is a definite peach odor to the air, leaving you no doubt that at least some of them have been able to get a share of the spoils from Orchard Island; you notice a number of discarded pits on the edges of plates and such, too. Behind the bar is Nazrin, who seems to have been roped into Tenshi's job while Tenshi is gone. You've done this yourself on occasion, the owner seems reluctant to hire someone permanently for the task. At one of the booths, you see Parsee and Utsuho, the latter you know by reputation and sight rather than personally. Sitting alone at one of the tables is Byakuren, with a heaping bowl of rice in front of her. Near the door, you can see Hina and Alice dining together. Obvious exists are West.
>_
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>Tenshi did say she'd meet us here, correct?
>Assuming so, go up to Nazrin.
>"I don't suppose you've seen Tenshi around here recently?"
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>Tenshi did say she'd meet us here, correct?
>Assuming so, go up to Nazrin.
>"I don't suppose you've seen Tenshi around here recently?"
>That is what she said.
>You approach Nazrin. "What's your posion?" asks the mouse youkai.
>You ask her about Tenshi. "No luck finding her, huh? I've not seen her, sorry."
>_
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curses as possible cause
Hina and Alice in the same location
SUSPICION.
>"I did find her, actually, but she didn't want to visit Bhava-Arga with me. We planned to meet up again here."
>"And before you ask, I'm fairly confident that she was not responsible for the Heavens falling."
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>"I did find her, actually, but she didn't want to visit Bhava-Arga with me. We planned to meet up again here."
>"And before you ask, I'm fairly confident that she was not responsible for the Heavens falling."
>"Oh, okay," says Nazrin. "Well, I've not seen her. Maybe she ran off on you?"
>The mouse youkai nods. "Well, good thing I'm not running a pool on it. I would have put odds on her."
>_
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>"You and most other people, I expect. Although Marisa's gone and gotten it into her head that it's some sort of conspiracy between us and the Lunarians. It would be nice if I had another prime suspect, but so far I mostly have a list of people who probably didn't have any hand in it, which doesn't seem likely to dissuade our resident incident solvers."
curses as possible cause
Hina and Alice in the same location
SUSPICION.
What's so suspicious about that? They're friends, right? This is not the first time we've almost seen them together. Besides, I think 'curse' was a fairly non-technical guess by Eirin. Although, if there's something you'd like to ask them, be my guest.
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>"You and most other people, I expect. Although Marisa's gone and gotten it into her head that it's some sort of conspiracy between us and the Lunarians. It would be nice if I had another prime suspect, but so far I mostly have a list of people who probably didn't have any hand in it, which doesn't seem likely to dissuade our resident incident solvers."
>"Huh," says Nazrin. "Well, to be fair, Marisa's idea does make a lot of sense. Anyways, I got nothing to say on it, myself. If you guys didn't do it, I don't know who did."
>_
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No, I'd rather not confront them based on that guess alone, even if I think Eirin's clever enough to guess at a somewhat plausible cause meant literally.
>... WOULD Tenshi run off on us?
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Remember, Tenshi may still be searching for that Tsuchinoko. We can't assume she's skipped town just yet.
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>... WOULD Tenshi run off on us?
>She has before.
>_
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I can't really think of anything to talk to anyone else in the tavern about at the moment. Anyone else have anything they can think of before we head out around the granary to look for Tenshi?
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Was Byakuren on our Patchy list or no? Or did we talk to her already?
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She was on the list, but we already spoke with her about it. In fact, we even reported her response to Patchy already.
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>What do the Parsee/Utsuho and Alice/Hina duos seem to be doing?
>"I suppose I should check around the rest of the village for Tenshi. There was something else we wanted to do here that she might be up to, instead."
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>What do the Parsee/Utsuho and Alice/Hina duos seem to be doing?
>"I suppose I should check around the rest of the village for Tenshi. There was something else we wanted to do here that she might be up to, instead."
>Hina and Alice seem to be enjoying lunch together and a conversation. Parsee and Utsuho are more quiet. Utsuho seems to be frowning into her meal.
>"Might not be a bad idea," says Nazrin.
>_
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> Walk over to Alice and Hina "Hi. I am sorry to bother you but do you know much about curses?"
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> Quests
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Honestly, as curious as I am about what Utusho's sad about, I can't see context for Iku to inquire, given that she doesn't know her at all, and has only unpleasant memories of Parsee.
With regards to Hina and the curse issue, if we do have cause to speak with her about it, I think it would be better done when we're not interrupting someone's meal. We do know (roughly) where she lives, after all.
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> Walk over to Alice and Hina "Hi. I am sorry to bother you but do you know much about curses?"
>The two look over toward you. "That would be a very suspicious thing to ask, if it were anyone but you," says Hina. "But yes, I know a great deal about curses. What would you like to know?"
> Quests
>You quests are:
>The Sky Has Fallen
>Bhava Agra has descended into Gensokyo. The Dragon has tasked you with finding out why and fixing it. You have discovered something is very awry with its shadow.
>Magician's Invitational
>Patchouli has asked you to deliver invitations to various magicians in order to form a circle. You have Renko and Mary left to invite.
>Tsuchinoko vs Oarfish
>You have been tasked by Minoriko to deal with a Tsuchinoko that has been seen near the granaries near the human village. Tenshi was supposedly looking into this for you.
>_
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>"Firstly, I must apoligize for intruding on your meal."
>"As you are most likely aware, the islands of Bhava Agra have fallen from the skies."
>"I have noticed that they are not casting shadows as one would expect them to and have been informed that a possible cause for this may be a curse."
>"I know it may not seem like much of a lead, but it is the only one I have so far and was wondering if you could assist in my investigation whenever it is convenient for you."
Feel free to change whatever part of this you want or to omit it completely if you don't agree.
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>"Firstly, I must apoligize for intruding on your meal."
>"As you are most likely aware, the islands of Bhava Agra have fallen from the skies."
>"I have noticed that they are not casting shadows as one would expect them to and have been informed that a possible cause for this may be a curse."
>"I know it may not seem like much of a lead, but it is the only one I have so far and was wondering if you could assist in my investigation whenever it is convenient for you."
Feel free to change whatever part of this you want or to omit it completely if you don't agree.
Seems mostly fine to me, but I'd change that last bit a little. Less 'assisting the investigation' than 'answering a few questions'
>Change that last line to: "I don't really understand the mechanics of such things, and I realize it isn't much to go on, but I was wondering if you might have an opinion on the issue. Could a curse cause such an effect? Would you be able to detect the presence of such a curse?"
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>"Firstly, I must apoligize for intruding on your meal."
>"As you are most likely aware, the islands of Bhava Agra have fallen from the skies."
>"I have noticed that they are not casting shadows as one would expect them to and have been informed that a possible cause for this may be a curse."
>"I know it may not seem like much of a lead, but it is the only one I have so far and was wondering if you could assist in my investigation whenever it is convenient for you."
>Change that last line to: "I don't really understand the mechanics of such things, and I realize it isn't much to go on, but I was wondering if you might have an opinion on the issue. Could a curse cause such an effect? Would you be able to detect the presence of such a curse?"
>Alice peaks out of the window by the booth as you mention this. "Huh...she's right, have a look, Hina."
>Hina glances out the window and frowns. "My, so it is. Mmm, well...it's hard to say what exactly the curse would be, were it a curse. There are so many that have very similar or identical effects, but through different castings or causes. If a curse were to affect someone's shadow, I would think that means it has strongly marred their soul. And, I would like to think I could detect a curse like that... I don't feel anything strange in the air, but I've not actually bothered with any of the islands myself. I suppose it could be extremely localized, but that would be unusual."
>_
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>"I apologize for asking this, but might it be possible for you to take a brief look at the island in person, at some point when you're free?"
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>"I apologize for asking this, but might it be possible for you to take a brief look at the island in person, at some point when you're free?"
>"I suppose I could, if it won't take too long," says Hina. "Did you have one in mind?"
>_
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>"Given that all the islands seem to be affected in the same way, I'm not certain it matters. The one right here should be fine; and of course there are peaches, if you'd care for any."
>"Unless you think that such a curse might have its source elsewhere, on some specific island through which it touches the others, rather than affecting each one individually? I really don't know the mechanics of such things, sorry."
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>"Given that all the islands seem to be affected in the same way, I'm not certain it matters. The one right here should be fine; and of course there are peaches, if you'd care for any."
>"Unless you think that such a curse might have its source elsewhere, on some specific island through which it touches the others, rather than affecting each one individually? I really don't know the mechanics of such things, sorry."
>"Well," says Hina. "I suppose it could be either way. But if they are all affected, then I suspect that they would all bear some taint. I was intending to collect a few peaches, though, so it should be fine."
>_
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>"Great, thank you. I'll leave you two to your meal, then. How should I get in touch with you afterward to see if you found anything?"
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>"Great, thank you. I'll leave you two to your meal, then. How should I get in touch with you afterward to see if you found anything?"
>"If you're willing to wait a little bit," says Hina, "I'll go look into it. I suppose if you have to run, you can find me around my home or Alice's."
>_
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>"I don't mind waiting, but there is a brief something I think I should attend to in the meantime. I'll go and return shortly. You may be finished your meal by that point, but don't feel obliged to wait up for me. Otherwise I'll see you again in a little while, ok?"
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>"I don't mind waiting, but there is a brief something I think I should attend to in the meantime. I'll go and return shortly. You may be finished your meal by that point, but don't feel obliged to wait up for me. Otherwise I'll see you again in a little while, ok?"
>"Very well," says Hina.
>"Hmm," says Alice, "how about you leave a note with Nazrin?"
>_
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>"I don't expect I should be long, but it's been a day full of unexpected problems already. If I'm not back in time, that would be appreciated, thank you."
>Head off towards the village granary
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>"I don't expect I should be long, but it's been a day full of unexpected problems already. If I'm not back in time, that would be appreciated, thank you."
>Head off towards the village granary
>Hina nods. "Still, I think I'll do that if you don't get back soon."
>You start to leave, when Parsee says, "Hey, you, Dancer. Come here for a minute."
>Utsuho hisses something to her in response to that, but you don't hear it.
>_
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>Raise eyebrow
>Walk over to her
>"Yes?"
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>Shank Parsee first
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>Raise eyebrow
>Walk over to her
>"Yes?"
>You raise an eyebrow and approach.
>"We couldn't help but overhear," Utsuho says, "But you were talking about shadows with them, weren't you?"
>"Why?" Parsee asks.
>_
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>"The shadows being cast by the islands are wrong; they're much weaker than they should be for such a large amount of solid rock this close to the surface. I don't know why this should be the case."
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>"The shadows being cast by the islands are wrong; they're much weaker than they should be for such a large amount of solid rock this close to the surface. I don't know why this should be the case."
>The two look at each other for a moment, something unspoken between them.
>"Good, you noticed too," says Parsee. "Most people don't pay any attention to that kind of thing. Thought I was the only one who noticed it."
>"Most people aren't as paranoid as you are," Utsuho says.
>"Hey..." says Parsee.
>"What, you saying I can't keep you protected, and you still have to jump at shadows? I bet you're even wearing that bracelet still."
>"...Maybe, but that's beside the point," says Parsee. She looks back to you. "So, have you found any other missing shadows, then?"
>_
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>"Not that I've noticed. Have you?"
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>"Not that I've noticed. Have you?"
>"One," says Parsee. "Nitori's."
>_
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>"What?!"
>"Do you know when this happened? Is she ok otherwise?"
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>"What?!"
>"Do you know when this happened? Is she ok otherwise?"
>"Don't shout!" Parsee hisses.
>"We're trying to keep this quiet," Utsuho explains. "We don't want Incident solvers knocking on our door. And, no, she's not okay. It happened three days ago. But Parsee only noticed her shadow was weird yesterday. She's...well...listless. Doesn't really do much of anything. Just lays there and watches the clouds."
>"We've been taking care of her, us and Yuugi," says Parsee.
>_
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>Frown
>"Oh dear... that's... I'm not sure what to say."
>"And apologies for my reaction. I understand your concern; I've had far more than my share of incident solvers today already."
>"In any case, you say it affected her long before Bhava-Agra fell, which suggests that it wasn't a single event which caused this. But... that could also suggest that whatever is causing this might be continuing to cause it to other things, which is a... disturbing conclusion to draw."
>"In any case, I was asking Hina if she could examine the islands for curses; it was suggested they might be a possible cause."
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>Frown
>"Oh dear... that's... I'm not sure what to say."
>"And apologies for my reaction. I understand your concern; I've had far more than my share of incident solvers today already."
>"In any case, you say it affected her long before Bhava-Agra fell, which suggests that it wasn't a single event which caused this. But... that could also suggest that whatever is causing this might be continuing to cause it to other things, which is a... disturbing conclusion to draw."
>"In any case, I was asking Hina if she could examine the islands for curses; it was suggested they might be a possible cause."
>You frown and express your dismay. "We're pretty much in the same boat," Parsee says.
>Utsuho nods. "Yeah, I know what that's like."
>"I don't know how the two would be related," says Parsee, "But they definitely are."
>"Although you don't have any proof," Utsuho says.
>"Sure I do, I have plenty of it," Parsee replies.
>You suggest it may be a curse. "It could be," says Utsuho. "We really don't know what happened."
>_
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>"Maybe I should ask Hina if she could look at Nitori instead? I have to admit I find it more troubling that it could affect a person than a chunk of rock, no matter how many people may have been affected by the latter. Especially if there's a chance others could start to be affected."
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>"Maybe I should ask Hina if she could look at Nitori instead? I have to admit I find it more troubling that it could affect a person than a chunk of rock, no matter how many people may have been affected by the latter. Especially if there's a chance others could start to be affected."
>"We were kind of hoping you'd be able to shed some light on the subject," says Utsuho. "But I guess Hina can help. Just...you know..."
>"We don't need this spreading." Parsee says. "Not even a little bit."
>_
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>"I understand what you mean, of course. I can ask her to be as discrete as possible, but I'm not sure it's in Nitori's best interests either to tell no one at all. Particularly if they may be able to help somehow."
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>"I understand what you mean, of course. I can ask her to be as discrete as possible, but I'm not sure it's in Nitori's best interests either to tell no one at all. Particularly if they may be able to help somehow."
>"We know, we know..." says Parsee. "I just saying we didn't even notice this til yesterday, and then all this stuff happens, and the last thing we need is Reimu kicking down the door and throwing those damned needles everywhere."
>_
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>"Yesterday I might have said 'surely she won't think you had anything to do with it'. Today... I'm not so sure. I've already been shot at by her and Marisa, and goodness only knows where they are at the moment. I'd just as soon not see them again until we have proof of whatever's responsible for this."
>"Still, I'll respect your wishes, if you really don't want me to mention this to her right now. But if you're willing to try, I promise I'll ask her to be as discrete as possible."
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>"Yesterday I might have said 'surely she won't think you had anything to do with it'. Today... I'm not so sure. I've already been shot at by her and Marisa, and goodness only knows where they are at the moment. I'd just as soon not see them again until we have proof of whatever's responsible for this."
>"Still, I'll respect your wishes, if you really don't want me to mention this to her right now. But if you're willing to try, I promise I'll ask her to be as discrete as possible."
>"Well yeah, I'd shoot at you in their shoes," says Parsee. "You're way too suspicious not to."
>"That aside," Utsuho says, "Just keep it on a need to know basis right now, okay?"
>_
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>"Understood. That being said, you're ok with me asking her?"
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>"Understood. That being said, you're ok with me asking her?"
>"No, we absolutely love having to feed Nitori like a baby," says Parsee. "What have we been saying to you?"
>"Calm down, Parsee," says Utsuho, reaching out and patting her on the hand. She looks to you. "Yes, please."
>_
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>Frown even deeper
>"She's... that bad?"
>"Did you say she was underground with you now?"
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>Frown even deeper
>"She's... that bad?"
>"Did you say she was underground with you now?"
>You frown more deeply; this is sounding worse and worse.
>"Pretty much," says Utsuho. "It's not that she's knocked out or anything, it's just she doesn't really have the energy to do much of anything."
>"No," says Parsee, "We've been visiting her lately to work on a thing. Few days ago, we go there like usual and she's gone. After awhile, she doesn't come back and we go looking for her. Found her sprawled out on the the hill a few hundred yards away."
>_
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>"And you think she'd been there... for days?"
>"Does she remember anything about when it happened? Or does she not really even have the wherewithal to speak about it?"
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>"And you think she'd been there... for days?"
>"Does she remember anything about when it happened? Or does she not really even have the wherewithal to speak about it?"
>"When'd we say that?" says Parsee, frowning at you. "Couldn't have been there more than a day, at most."
>"It looks like she doesn't care to remember," says Utsuho "You really can't talk to her, she doesn't pay attention."
>_
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>How close do Alice and Hina look to finishing their meal?
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>How close do Alice and Hina look to finishing their meal?
>Glancing over, you see they look like they are about done.
>_
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>"So Nitori's still at her home, then?"
>Wait a moment for Hina and Alice to finish up, then approach Hina
>"Excuse me, Hina? Could I speak with you a moment? Privately? Something's come up that I think is more important you have a look at than the Orchard Isle."
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>"So Nitori's still at her home, then?"
>Wait a moment for Hina and Alice to finish up, then approach Hina
>"Excuse me, Hina? Could I speak with you a moment? Privately? Something's come up that I think is more important you have a look at than the Orchard Isle."
>"Yeah," says Parsee, "Yuugi's looking over her right now."
>You wait for Hina and Alice to finish their meal, then approach Hina.
>"Um, alright," says Hina. Alice looks at you with a raised eyebrow.
>_
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>"I mean no disrespect, Alice. I've simply been asked to keep this in confidence for the moment."
>Take Hina aside, when she's ready
>Quietly enough that no one else is likely to hear: "Nitori's shadow has been affected similarly, and it's had a profoundly negative effect on the rest of her being. I'm told she barely seems present to the world around her."
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>"I mean no disrespect, Alice. I've simply been asked to keep this in confidence for the moment."
>Take Hina aside, when she's ready
>Quietly enough that no one else is likely to hear: "Nitori's shadow has been affected similarly, and it's had a profoundly negative effect on the rest of her being. I'm told she barely seems present to the world around her."
>"As you say," Alice says.
>There is pretty much no privacy in the crowded establishment. In the end, you have to bring her close to Utsuho and Parsee's booth. You quickly explain things to her. "Mmm, I see," says Hina. "That sounds like it may be a curse. I'll be sure to stop in and visit her."
>_
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>"She was also affected at least a day or two before Bhava-Agra, which suggests that whatever is causing this might still be happening. Which is a rather worrisome thought, given how it's affected her."
>"Also, I would appreciate if you try to be discreet about this, as I've been asked to be."
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>"She was also affected at least a day or two before Bhava-Agra, which suggests that whatever is causing this might still be happening. Which is a rather worrisome thought, given how it's affected her."
>"Also, I would appreciate if you try to be discreet about this, as I've been asked to be."
>Hina nods, and says, "I see, I see..."
>"How discreet?" asks Hina.
>"She means don't tell anyone, period," says Parsee, giving her a look.
>_
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>"Yes, I think that would probably be best, until we have a better idea of what's happening."
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>"Yes, I think that would probably be best, until we have a better idea of what's happening."
>Hina frowns a little, and nods. "Very well. I won't tell a soul. You can leave it to me."
>_
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>"Thank you very much."
>"Shall I meet with you at your place later, then? I assume there are still things around here you were planning to do before I accosted you the first time?"
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>"Thank you very much."
>"Shall I meet with you at your place later, then? I assume there are still things around here you were planning to do before I accosted you the first time?"
>"We were just having lunch, really," says Hina. "But yes, meet me there."
>_
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> "All right, then."
> Turn back to Parsee and Utsuho.
> "Is there anything else you want me to know? About this or anything else?"
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> "All right, then."
> Turn back to Parsee and Utsuho.
> "Is there anything else you want me to know? About this or anything else?"
>You turn back to Utsuho and Parsee. "No, not really," says Utsuho. "Though the less other people know about this, the happier we'll be. Oh, if you stop in before we get back, make sure Yuugi knows we told you."
>_
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>"Understood. I'll see you a little later, then. Hopefully we'll be able to learn something we can work with, to fix all this."
>Head off towards the village granary
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>"Understood. I'll see you a little later, then. Hopefully we'll be able to learn something we can work with, to fix all this."
>Head off towards the village granary
>"Here's hoping," says Utsuho.
>You leave the bar, reflecting that Utsuho is a rather pleasant sort for someone who tried to burn the world. You leave town, walking past Shou's Clothes, the Myouren Temple, and out toward the fields. As you do, you see a sign that reads, "Attention! These fields feed everyone, including you. Mess with them, and I will end you! -Reimu". Painted on it is a flattering, but very serious-looking caricature of the Hakurei Maiden. The fields are empty now, having been harvested not too long ago. However, you see a few farmers out and plowing the leftover plants into the soil. You see the granary in the distance; a long low building built on legs to elevate it a foot off the ground. Before Byakuren reclaimed her ship to serve as the basis for her temple, it was favored as a granary due to not touching the ground and making it all the harder for vermin to get inside. You see a dark-skinned woman with a spear standing in front of it; you think you recognize her as one of the business owners in town.
>_
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>Did Minoriko say that the serpent was known of in the human village?
>Either way, approach and greet her.
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>Did Minoriko say that the serpent was known of in the human village?
>Either way, approach and greet her.
>She didn't explicitly say this, but given she said her followers were asking her for help with it, you imagine that they are aware.
>You approach the granary guard and greet her. The guard nods to you. "You'd be looking for the barkeep, then?" she asks.
>_
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>"I am, yes. I take it you've seen her, then?"
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>"I am, yes. I take it you've seen her, then?"
>The guard nods. "Came a little while ago, she did. Asking about the snake youkai in the forest. Said she was going to do something about it."
>_
-
>"Yes, we were planning to attend to that. Do you know where she went?"
-
>"Yes, we were planning to attend to that. Do you know where she went?"
>"Into the forest after it," says the guard. "Said she was gonna deal with it."
>_
-
>"Yes, but I mean do you have any idea what part of the forest it might be in?"
-
>"Yes, but I mean do you have any idea what part of the forest it might be in?"
>"Should've asked that," says the guard with a small frown. "The thing was seen up in the northwest edge of the that forest."
>She points toward the forest east of town, you are reasonably sure that is the one that the Hakurei Shrine is in.
>"All I can say is if it gets in here, we're going to have a hard winter."She shakes her head. "We were going to send for the Shrine Maiden, but then the sky fell, and now she's too busy to do anything about it."
>_
-
>"I understand. We will do our best to deal with, I promise. Thank you."
>Head off to the northwest edge of the indicated forest
-
>"I understand. We will do our best to deal with, I promise. Thank you."
>Head off to the northwest edge of the indicated forest
>She nods. "That'd be kind of you."
>You start toward the eastern forest. Much of its foliage has already felt the taste of fall, leaving the trees with few leaves clinging to them. It's not as dense as the Forest of Magic, making it more inviting to visit. You believe the presence of the Shrine Maiden does a lot to keep youkai away from it, save those that are visiting her. However, you are certain this place has its share of faeries. The forest grows more dense to the east. Obvious exits are East, West, and South.
>_
-
>Head east
>Keep an eye and ear out for any signs of either the tsuchinoko or Tenshi
-
>Odd that one would be hiding near Reimu's shrine...
-
>Head east
>Keep an eye and ear out for any signs of either the tsuchinoko or Tenshi
>You head head, deeper into the forest.
>The mat of leaves is thick on the ground, crunching and swishing with your every footstep. The trees grow more closely together here, not so much that they would impede your progress, but enough that it would make flight difficult and unwise. There is fallen tree here, apparently having been here for some time from the rot and mushrooms it bears. Obvious exits are East, West, and South.
>Odd that one would be hiding near Reimu's shrine...
>That is strange. Maybe it doesn't know? Or it is just passing through?
>_
-
Or maybe it's Reimu :V
Or more plausibly, Plum.
>Do we have any idea what sort of mushrooms these are?
>What's to the south, back out of the forest?
-
>Continue east
-
>Do we have any idea what sort of mushrooms these are?
>What's to the south, back out of the forest?
>You know nothing of Mycology.
>It leads deeper in, as you're on the northern side. You suspect it would soon take you across the road leading to the Hakurei Shrine, though.
>Continue east
>You continue eastward. The forest doesn't get any worse, thankfully, but the leaf crunches in the wake of your footsteps are about the only sound you hear. No...wait. You think you hear something else to the south. It sounds like a voice; an angry voice. Obvious exits are East, West, and South
>_
-
>Head south
-
>Head south
>You head southward.
>The voice becomes more clear, and you are reasonably certain it is Tenshi. An angry, inarticulate, and somewhat hoarse Tenshi. You also notice that there are a fair deal of dead creepers clinging to the the trees.
>_
-
>Frown
>Head towards her voice
-
>Frown
>Head towards her voice
>You head toward her voice, and soon find a stout tree with wide, thick branches. You immediately see Tenshi dangling from one of the branches, bound by dozens of thick creepers that have more or less cocooned her from the neck down down. She is rocking back and forth, clearly trying to use her weight and gravity to get free of the vines somehow. She also seems to have no problem in vocalizing her frustration at the situation. Her hat lays on the ground a yard or two from her.
>_
-
>Approach
>"Tenshi?"
-
>Approach
>"Tenshi?"
>She stops struggling and glances toward you, apparently able to fly well enough to control the direction she is facing. "There you are!" she cries. "Where the hell were you!?"
>_
-
> "Getting assaulted by that muscle-bound oaf, and then talking to your mother. I'm sorry, if I had known..."
> How tight do the vines appear to be around Tenshi? Could we reasonably shoot them without hitting her?
-
>"I'm afraid I got into a fight with Marisa shortly after Sanae and I parted ways. Evidently she is now convinced that we're in league with the Lunarians. There was a large battle by the celestial village over the bamboo forest, which I barely missed. In any event, it took me some time to evade her."
>"Frankly, I'd figured you'd probably be enjoying yourself in the tavern by this point. I take it things... didn't exactly go according to plan."
-
Just as a suggestion for this conversation, Tenshi's probably going to want fewer words and more cutting her down. Being verbose will likely not make her happy. :V
-
>"I'm afraid I got into a fight with Marisa shortly after Sanae and I parted ways. Evidently she is now convinced that we're in league with the Lunarians. There was a large battle by the celestial village over the bamboo forest, which I barely missed. In any event, it took me some time to evade her."
>"Frankly, I'd figured you'd probably be enjoying yourself in the tavern by this point. I take it things... didn't exactly go according to plan."
"Wait..." she says, "You ditched me!? After all that talk about how you needed my help, and you ditched me?! Agh! I hate you! You never change! I knew I shouldn't have believed you! I'd strangle you if I could!"
>_
-
>Frown
>"Ditched you? But you said you didn't want to return with me to Bhava-Agra. I came back to the tavern as soon as we were done there."
>"Tenshi... I hope you wouldn't think I'd abandon you if I thought you were in trouble like this. I had no idea... Frankly, I thought you might be happiest having a little time in the tavern, away from the problems of today..."
> How tight do the vines appear to be around Tenshi? Could we reasonably shoot them without hitting her?
-
>Frown
>"Ditched you? But you said you didn't want to return with me to Bhava-Agra. I came back to the tavern as soon as we were done there."
>"Tenshi... I hope you wouldn't think I'd abandon you if I thought you were in trouble like this. I had no idea... Frankly, I thought you might be happiest having a little time in the tavern, away from the problems of today..."
> How tight do the vines appear to be around Tenshi? Could we reasonably shoot them without hitting her?
>"You ran off to the damned bamboo forest without me! Now you're trying you act like you didn't even do anything wrong! You people always do that! What the hell is the matter with you?!"
>They look pretty tight. Otherwise you don't think they'd hold her very well. You imagine there's no way you could shoot them where they are touching her and not hit her too.
>_
-
>"Ok, shall I be honest? I went to that island to check up on your family, Tenshi. I wanted to be able to tell you for certain that they were ok."
-
>"Ok, shall I be honest? I went to that island to check up on your family, Tenshi. I wanted to be able to tell you for certain that they were ok."
>"See!" she says, "Every time I say something, no one bothers to think I might me right! Maybe I should just lie all the time so the point will get across! You're the best person in the whole world, Iku!"
>_
-
>"All I can say is that I did what I did out of honest concern for you. I am very sorry that you were left in a bad position as a result of my actions. I apologize, Tenshi."
>Bow our head
-
>Would it be possible to shoot at the roots of the creepers at a point before they're wrapping up Tenshi?
>... no, that would just land her on the ground rather than freeing her, wouldn't it? Bah.
-
>"All I can say is that I did what I did out of honest concern for you. I am very sorry that you were left in a bad position as a result of my actions. I apologize, Tenshi."
>Bow our head
>"No you didn't! You did it because you didn't believe me! And you aren't sorry because you said that last time then oh look, you're doing it again not even an hour later! Oh wait, I forgot to lie about all that so you'd get the message!"
>You have the feeling it's a good thing she's restrained, given how she's renewed her struggles.
>Would it be possible to shoot at the roots of the creepers at a point before they're wrapping up Tenshi?
>... no, that would just land her on the ground rather than freeing her, wouldn't it? Bah.
>It would be very possible.
>_
-
I'm not sure about Iku, but if I had someone yelling at me like that, I'd probably be pretty close to tears. Not sure how I'd handle this.
-
I'm not sure about Iku, but if I had someone yelling at me like that, I'd probably be pretty close to tears. Not sure how I'd handle this.
This may very well happen!
> Sigh.
> Does it look like we can walk around the area without getting tangled ourselves?
> Is Gensokyo known for sentient plants, such as creepers that would entangle you on their own?
> Is Tenshi's sword visible?
-
> Sigh.
> Does it look like we can walk around the area without getting tangled ourselves?
> Is Gensokyo known for sentient plants, such as creepers that would entangle you on their own?
> Is Tenshi's sword visible?
>You sigh.
>The area looks clear, at least on the ground. The creepers are mostly entwined around the trees.
>Not really, though you wouldn't be surprised to hear about such things.
>You look around, and see it is on the ground near her hat. It doesn't stand out nearly so well against the leaves.
>_
-
> Inventory
-
> Inventory
>Wide-brimmed hat (worn as hat)
>Exceedingly Stylish!
>Flamenco Dress (worn as dress)
>Allows both modesty and freedom of movement
>Pink Shawl
>A shawl that represents your status as a part of Bhava-Arga and allows you to defend yourself with devastating techniques.
>Large Black Purse
>Exactly what it sounds like. It holds all your stuff
>Spine Sign: "Acanthodii of the Thunder Clouds"
>This spellcard engulfs you in a shield of electricity. It can be broken with enough force, and only lasts for a short time before it must be renewed
>Light Orb: "Dragon's Gleaming Eyes"
>This recreates an image of one of The Dragon's physical manifestations in lightning and sends it out.
>Cloud Realm: "The Thunder Court in the Sea of Abstruse Clouds"
>Fills the air with webs of lightning, but leaves you motionless.
>Dragonfish: "Dragon Palace's Messenger Swimming Shot"
>Sends electricity spiraling out from you, but leaves you defenseless.
>6☼
>This is 6☼
>_
-
> How much do we value our hat?
> Ponder how Tenshi could possibly have come to be this entangled. Surely this is too complex for a fairy trap? Unless...didn't Minoriko say something about the tsuchinoko and plants?
-
> How much do we value our hat?
> Ponder how Tenshi could possibly have come to be this entangled. Surely this is too complex for a fairy trap? Unless...didn't Minoriko say something about the tsuchinoko and plants?
>A fair amount. Headgear is important.
>It does seem very complex for a faerie trap. And you recall MInoriko saying something exactly along the lines of the topic.
>_
-
>Without attempting to invoke any of the power in it, is the Sword of Hisou still a sharp cutting implement?
>Allow a little frustration and a hint of anger to creep into our voice.
>"Tenshi, call me wrong if you must, but don't call me a liar. I've spent all day being accused of lying through my teeth; I would have hoped you, at least, knew me better than that. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I screwed up. I tried to do what I thought was a good thing for you, and it blew up in my face. Do you know what it's like to be told you don't give a damn when you're trying your very best? Maybe you do. What would you have me do, Tenshi? I'm tired of failing at everything today; with the islands, with half of Gensokyo, and with you."
-
>Without attempting to invoke any of the power in it, is the Sword of Hisou still a sharp cutting implement?
>Allow a little frustration and a hint of anger to creep into our voice.
>"Tenshi, call me wrong if you must, but don't call me a liar. I've spent all day being accused of lying through my teeth; I would have hoped you, at least, knew me better than that. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I screwed up. I tried to do what I thought was a good thing for you, and it blew up in my face. Do you know what it's like to be told you don't give a damn when you're trying your very best? Maybe you do. What would you have me do, Tenshi? I'm tired of failing at everything today; with the islands, with half of Gensokyo, and with you."
>Yes. It should still serve you as a fine blade.
>"Yeah, only the difference is you actually did lie to me! You said you were going stop doing all that stuff, and then first opportunity you ditch me! Then even though I told you they were fine, you act like I don't even know what I'm talking about while I'm here doing your dirty work! So what would I have you do? I dunno, maybe cut that shit out like you said you were! But I guess that's just too much to ask, isn't it!?"
>_
-
>"Tenshi, when did I lie to you? I said I wanted to show Sanae part of Bhava-Agra and check on a few things while I was there. This is exactly what I did. You were welcome to come along, but you choose to stay here."
>"And if you think that only reason I wanted to see them with my own eyes is because you were the one who said they were fine, think again. I would not have felt any more comfortable about what you said if that had come from the mouth of any other celestial, I swear."
>Pick up the sword, and try to cut one of the vines holding Tenshi up, at a point a fair distance away from her body
-
>"Tenshi, when did I lie to you? I said I wanted to show Sanae part of Bhava-Agra and check on a few things while I was there. This is exactly what I did. You were welcome to come along, but you choose to stay here."
>"And if you think that only reason I wanted to see them with my own eyes is because you were the one who said they were fine, think again. I would not have felt any more comfortable about what you said if that had come from the mouth of any other celestial, I swear."
>Pick up the sword, and try to cut one of the vines holding Tenshi up, at a point a fair distance away from her body
>"Gee, I don't know," says Tenshi, "Maybe the part where you ran off to Bamboo Forest! Where is your girlfriend at, get tired of abandoning me and abandon her instead? Maybe you'll get a kind of ping-pong abandoning going now! And don't feed that shit, if any other celestial said that you'd just nod and go on. You certain wouldn't ditch them to go check up and make sure they were right behind their backs while they were doing your job for you! You can't even begin to admit it, either! And then you people wonder why I don't want anything to do with any of you!"
>The vines are bunched up between her feet and the branch she is dangling from, giving you a good foot worth of clearance. You try to cut one of the vines. It is a little dry, so it doesn't cut as smoothly as you would like, but you cut it without difficulty.
>_
-
>"The only part where I was 'running off in the forest' was when Marisa was chasing after me. Unless you'd have rathered she beat me up and leave you here?"
>"And again, how did I ditch you? You said you wanted to stay down here."
>Keep cutting those vines
-
>"The only part where I was 'running off in the forest' was when Marisa was chasing after me. Unless you'd have rathered she beat me up and leave you here?"
>"And again, how did I ditch you? You said you wanted to stay down here."
>Keep cutting those vines
>You hear Tenshi take a deep breath. "You. Left. Town. And. Ditched. Me. You! Fucking! Idiot!"
>You suspect the the vines are probably keeping her from trying to throttle you. Regardless, you start to cut them away. She struggles harder against them.
>_
-
> Did we make any sort of agreement to not leave town?
-
> Did we make any sort of agreement to not leave town?
>You never did. But you also never explicitly said you were going to, either.
>_
-
> Sigh.
> Keep on cutting.
-
> Sigh.
> Keep on cutting.
>You sigh, and keep cutting.
>"Oh yeah, go into that aloof silence you types do so well," says Tenshi. "That'll make all of the you being wrong go right away. It always does, doesn't it? When you even half-recognize it in the first place rather than just pretending it was totally the other person's fault."
>You sever a handful of vines, and the cocoon around Tenshi slackens enough she's able to struggle loose. She has seen it coming, so she was already flying, though losing support from the vines causes her to flop awkward in midair. She floats over and grabs her hat.
>_
-
> Silently offer Tenshi her sword back.
-
> Silently offer Tenshi her sword back.
>You offer her her sword back. She snatches it, thankfully you avoid being cut in the process. "Go on and pretend to mope if you want. I don't care, it doesn't change a damn thing."
>_
-
> "No, I imagine nothing I'd do would change your mind."
-
> "No, I imagine nothing I'd do would change your mind."
>"Not judging by how you acted today, it won't! And you still haven't even admitted it! And I'm the bad one, everyone says!"
>_
-
> "Well then, I'm sorry I didn't tell you I might leave the human village when we split up."
-
> "Well then, I'm sorry I didn't tell you I might leave the human village when we split up."
>"That sure doesn't sound like you're sorry you ditched me and pretty much went to go investigate on me behind my back while I'm doing your dirty work, does it?" says Tenshi, scowling. "Because that's what you actually did."
>_
-
> Did we ask Tenshi to hunt for the tsuchinoko, or did she decide to do that on her own?
-
> Did we ask Tenshi to hunt for the tsuchinoko, or did she decide to do that on her own?
>You didn't ask. She more or less volunteered to gather information while you did your own thing, and made allusions that she might just deal with it herself.
>_
-
> "I'm sorry that you think I 'ditched' you, but I disagree with the rest of your assessment."
> "I did find out your youngest sister was injured, if that matters."
-
> "I'm sorry that you think I 'ditched' you, but I disagree with the rest of your assessment."
> "I did find out your youngest sister was injured, if that matters."
>"Okay, so you were going to go see my family to see if they were okay even though I told you they were okay, so there's the second part right there. And who's job is it to keep the harvest intact? Oh, it's yours. And who was out here dealing with that stupid snake while you were busy ditching me? I think it was me. So it looks like I was doing your job. How about that!"
>_
-
> "And part of your family is not okay."
-
> "And part of your family is not okay."
>"She'll be alright and look at you running away from the fact yet again," says Tenshi. "What happened, anyways?"
>_
-
> "Marisa came by the island she was on. She got in the way. I think you can guess what happened after that."
-
> "Marisa came by the island she was on. She got in the way. I think you can guess what happened after that."
>"Oh," she says. "Well how was I supposed to know that, it doesn't even count!"
>_
-
Suggesting:
"And what if she had been more than simply injured?"
"Accidents will occur whether we know about them or not. I am not perfect and neither are you, we are not omniscient."
-
Suggest: "Why doesn't it count? It did happen."
Bah I dunno how to deal with this sort of person
-
Will take care when I get home
-
> "Then how did you 'know' your family was okay, if you didn't know your sister wasn't okay?"
> Tone should be a little softer than it has been, if possible. We're not trying to be confrontational here.
-
> "Then how did you 'know' your family was okay, if you didn't know your sister wasn't okay?"
> Tone should be a little softer than it has been, if possible. We're not trying to be confrontational here.
>"Shut up, what does that even matter?" says Tenshi. "I just know, okay? I know that doesn't mean anything because I'm Tenshi, but there you go."
>_
-
> "And I thought I 'just knew' that it would be okay to leave the village do some more investigation. Apparently that was incorrect. I didn't know it was incorrect, but that doesn't make it any less incorrect."
> "It seems we have both made incorrect assumptions here. I can hardly hold yours against you when there is one to be held against me as well."
> "In that vein, Tenshi, I am sorry for ditching you. I thought what I was doing would be okay. I was wrong."
-
(I have to say I love your Tenshi. So infuriating to deal with well also very believable.)
-
> "And I thought I 'just knew' that it would be okay to leave the village do some more investigation. Apparently that was incorrect. I didn't know it was incorrect, but that doesn't make it any less incorrect."
> "It seems we have both made incorrect assumptions here. I can hardly hold yours against you when there is one to be held against me as well."
> "In that vein, Tenshi, I am sorry for ditching you. I thought what I was doing would be okay. I was wrong."
>Tenshi glares at you a bit more. "You're damn right you were wrong! Why didn't you even say you were leaving? I wouldn't have gone after the stupid snake if I knew you weren't gonna be here to back me up soon. And my assumption is totally correct, we weren't talking about Marisa!"
>_
-
Oh boy, this is going to get a lot more difficult now that I'm being asked questions to which I don't actually know the answer.
Fake Edit: I can't believe I missed the end of the last topic, where non-Hinanai celestials apparently showed concern for Tenshi's well-being. Mental Note get! (May be used in this conversation, if we absolutely need Tenshi to be wrong about something.)
> "It is enough to show that blind faith is not enough. Your mother admitted to me she was lucky to avoid injury, and I was not informed of your sister's condition prior to her battle with Marisa. There very well could be others that were not so lucky."
> "I did not say I was leaving because I did not realize you wanted me to. In addition, I know nothing about tsuchinokos, and given how you volunteered to go find it, I didn't think you would want or need backup to defeat a snake."
-
> "It is enough to show that blind faith is not enough. Your mother admitted to me she was lucky to avoid injury, and I was not informed of your sister's condition prior to her battle with Marisa. There very well could be others that were not so lucky."
> "I did not say I was leaving because I did not realize you wanted me to. In addition, I know nothing about tsuchinokos, and given how you volunteered to go find it, I didn't think you would want or need backup to defeat a snake."
>"Okay, so instead of being a huge ass," says Tenshi, "You were just really incredible mindnumbingly stupid in ditching me. Alright. Fine."
>_
-
Well, that's at least an improvement.
> Wry smile.
> "As much as you think I think I am, and as nice as it would be, I'm not infallible."
> Did the island Tenshi's youngest sister was on have a name?
-
> Wry smile.
> "As much as you think I think I am, and as nice as it would be, I'm not infallible."
> Did the island Tenshi's youngest sister was on have a name?
>"Yeah, that's obvious," says Tenshi. "I was expecting competent, though."
>She does, and you didn't catch it.
>_
-
> Do we think we could give reasonable directions to that island? We remember what part of Gensokyo it currently hangs over, right?
> "Be that as it may, we must now decide what to do. I assume that snake is still wandering around here somewhere. You will likely want to visit the island where your youngest sister is stationed; the other celestials there have expressed concern for your well-being. And then there is the amusing case of your mother, who has been 'enslaved' by an ice fairy I believe you are familiar with."
> Make air quotes for 'enslaved'.
-
> Do we think we could give reasonable directions to that island? We remember what part of Gensokyo it currently hangs over, right?
> "Be that as it may, we must now decide what to do. I assume that snake is still wandering around here somewhere. You will likely want to visit the island where your youngest sister is stationed; the other celestials there have expressed concern for your well-being. And then there is the amusing case of your mother, who has been 'enslaved' by an ice fairy I believe you are familiar with."
> Make air quotes for 'enslaved'.
>You think that you could.
>"Eh," says Tenshi. "As for that snake, it's right over there. Good luck with that."
>_
-
> "'Eh'? Is that really it? People show concern for you, your sister is injured badly, and all you have for them is 'eh'? Come now, Tenshi, you're better than that."
> Is she gesturing in some direction to indicate where the snake is?
-
> "'Eh'? Is that really it? People show concern for you, your sister is injured badly, and all you have for them is 'eh'? Come now, Tenshi, you're better than that."
> Is she gesturing in some direction to indicate where the snake is?
>"Concern's easy enough to fake for appearances. And if she's getting into danmaku battles, she's probably not hurt for real. So yeah."
>She glances off toward your side.
>_
-
> "The celestial I talked to brought you up without my prompting. She asked for news about your whole family and then mentioned you in particular. This was done while your sister was asleep. Why would she feign this kind of concern?"
-
> "The celestial I talked to brought you up without my prompting. She asked for news about your whole family and then mentioned you in particular. This was done while your sister was asleep. Why would she feign this kind of concern?"
>"Probably because you asked her about them first," says Tenshi, shaking her head. "And everyone knows you're stuck with me, so it's just manners to ask. And that's all it is."
>_
-
> Frown.
> "And you accuse me of refusing to admit when I'm wrong."
-
> Frown.
> "And you accuse me of refusing to admit when I'm wrong."
>"I'm just saying how it is," Tenshi says. "As long as they do those little things, they can do whatever they want and pretend they're all perfect. And you sure are a lot more interested in telling me how i'm really the wrong one, rather than dealing with that snake. Isn't that weird?"
-
> "I have put no more energy into pointing out how you have been wrong than you put into pointing out how I have been wrong, but that's beside the point."
> "I do this because I am concerned for you. The snake will be dealt with in due time. I have the opportunity here and now to help both of us become better people. I do worry for you, Tenshi. You seem to have completely closed your mind off to the possibility that people outside your family actually care for you. You question the good intentions of others with no real evidence to back those questions up. You constantly push me away, even as I try to help you and show concern for you. This is not good for anyone, especially not you."
> "You wanted to be treated as an equal. I offered this to you, in trying to demonstrate that we were both wrong about our assumptions today, neither better or worse than the other. I also offered this to you in trusting your ability when you volunteered for the task of eliminating the snake, instead of assuming you would need assistance and forcing myself on you. You hold that sword to be rightfully yours. I offered this to you, in returning it to you without your asking for it. You know very well I am going to catch Hell for that, and yet I do not regret doing it at all."
> "I will admit that not all of my assumptions today have been correct, and not all of my actions have been admirable. I am not perfect. But I still wish to work toward becoming a better person myself, and I still wish to work toward helping you break out of this shell of negativity. Hate and anger breed more hate and anger. Love and trust breed more love and trust. The latter spiral is vastly preferable to the former."
> "I don't want to see you leave us, Tenshi, and there are others that feel the same way. I would miss you too much. We do care about you, and I would not be able to live with myself if I did not do my very best to show that to you."
-
> "I have put no more energy into pointing out how you have been wrong than you put into pointing out how I have been wrong, but that's beside the point."
> "I do this because I am concerned for you. The snake will be dealt with in due time. I have the opportunity here and now to help both of us become better people. I do worry for you, Tenshi. You seem to have completely closed your mind off to the possibility that people outside your family actually care for you. You question the good intentions of others with no real evidence to back those questions up. You constantly push me away, even as I try to help you and show concern for you. This is not good for anyone, especially not you."
> "You wanted to be treated as an equal. I offered this to you, in trying to demonstrate that we were both wrong about our assumptions today, neither better or worse than the other. I also offered this to you in trusting your ability when you volunteered for the task of eliminating the snake, instead of assuming you would need assistance and forcing myself on you. You hold that sword to be rightfully yours. I offered this to you, in returning it to you without your asking for it. You know very well I am going to catch Hell for that, and yet I do not regret doing it at all."
> "I will admit that not all of my assumptions today have been correct, and not all of my actions have been admirable. I am not perfect. But I still wish to work toward becoming a better person myself, and I still wish to work toward helping you break out of this shell of negativity. Hate and anger breed more hate and anger. Love and trust breed more love and trust. The latter spiral is vastly preferable to the former."
> "I don't want to see you leave us, Tenshi, and there are others that feel the same way. I would miss you too much. We do care about you, and I would not be able to live with myself if I did not do my very best to show that to you."
>"So it's my fault after all, of course," says Tenshi. "I only got ditched while trying to help you out after you begged me to come with you. You know what? Sure. Fine. You're completely right, Tenshi has got the wrong of it all once again. Have fun with that snake and whoever brought Bhava-Agra on its knees like it deserves."
>She turns and starts to walk away.
>_
-
> "Who cares about who's right and who's wrong? No one's keeping score! What's important is where you go from there!"
> If she keeps making to leave, follow after her.
-
> "Who cares about who's right and who's wrong? No one's keeping score! What's important is where you go from there!"
> If she keeps making to leave, follow after her.
>"Yeah, and I can see where this is going. which is the same place it's always been! I'm the wrong and stupid one, and the people who are worse than me get to keep their noses in the air! I thought maybe you were different!"
>She keeps walking off, heading southward. You follow after.
>_
-
> "You weren't the wrong and stupid one here! I was! And you aren't stupid for hating everyone, you're hurt! I want to help you, not berate you!"
-
> "You weren't the wrong and stupid one here! I was! And you aren't stupid for hating everyone, you're hurt! I want to help you, not berate you!"
>"That's what you said last time, wasn't it?" Tenshi says. "So what makes it different now?"
>_
-
> "At what point today did I stop wanting to help you?"
-
> "At what point today did I stop wanting to help you?"
>She slows a bit.
>"I don't know what you want. I just know what you've actually done. Doesn't do much for confidence."
>_
-
> "Look, I know I screwed up not telling you I was going to leave the village. But why else would I give your sword back to you without your asking for it?"
-
> "Look, I know I screwed up not telling you I was going to leave the village. But why else would I give your sword back to you without your asking for it?"
>She pauses.
>"Okay, fine. What do you want from me, then?"
-
> "I wish you would open yourself to the idea that there are people who do care about you and your well-being. People outside your immediate family. It is true that there are some people in Bhava-Agra that are not entirely pleased with you. I'm not going to lie to you about that, it would be insulting. At the same time, you do not like many of them, as you yourself have admitted. Hate begets hate, anger begets anger, unrest begets unrest. It's a a death spiral. Since you seem to prefer thinking in such terms, when this happens, everyone is wrong. Everyone loses. And everyone is to blame. Not any individual person. Not you, not me, not anyone else. Everyone is at fault."
> "The way to fix this spiral is for respect to take over. Love begets love. Care begets care. Trust begets trust. Happiness begets happiness. And when everyone gets involved in this, everyone is right. Everyone wins. And everyone can be credited for making it happen."
> "If you don't believe me when I say that I care about you, go to your mother, and ask her about the conversation she and I had. If you don't believe me when I say that others care about you, go to the island where your sister is resting. You can do these things to see for yourself. You can trust in me after all the things I've said and done, even with the bad things factored in. You can take the shot and play your part in starting the cycle of love and care, to make yourself and everyone else better. Or you can lose that chance, maybe for good, and stay here, in a surface world where many people no longer trust you, some are liable to attack you on sight, and at least one was willing to assault your sister when she was innocent of all wrongdoing."
-
> "I wish you would open yourself to the idea that there are people who do care about you and your well-being. People outside your immediate family. It is true that there are some people in Bhava-Agra that are not entirely pleased with you. I'm not going to lie to you about that, it would be insulting. At the same time, you do not like many of them, as you yourself have admitted. Hate begets hate, anger begets anger, unrest begets unrest. It's a a death spiral. Since you seem to prefer thinking in such terms, when this happens, everyone is wrong. Everyone loses. And everyone is to blame. Not any individual person. Not you, not me, not anyone else. Everyone is at fault."
> "The way to fix this spiral is for respect to take over. Love begets love. Care begets care. Trust begets trust. Happiness begets happiness. And when everyone gets involved in this, everyone is right. Everyone wins. And everyone can be credited for making it happen."
> "If you don't believe me when I say that I care about you, go to your mother, and ask her about the conversation she and I had. If you don't believe me when I say that others care about you, go to the island where your sister is resting. You can do these things to see for yourself. You can trust in me after all the things I've said and done, even with the bad things factored in. You can take the shot and play your part in starting the cycle of love and care, to make yourself and everyone else better. Or you can lose that chance, maybe for good, and stay here, in a surface world where many people no longer trust you, some are liable to attack you on sight, and at least one was willing to assault your sister when she was innocent of all wrongdoing."
>"Tried it, didn't work," Tenshi says. "It doesn't matter what I do. I'm through being their sucker. And everyone? I didn't do a damn thing to them, and they all felt free as they liked to treat me just like I said. So no, I'm not wrong. And I don't win either way, so I might as well be right while I lose. And yeah, I'd rather be down here, it's better here. People are honest instead of a bunch of hypocrites. And they're willing to admit they messed up without being yelled first. I'd rather locked in a room with Remilia or Yuuka than any of them. Only reason I was helping you at all was because maybe you were smarter than the rest of them are."
>_
-
Suggest:
"May I ask you for a favor?"
"Once we have resolved situation with Bhava Agra, can you try one more time to make peace with the other celestials?"
"I will of course accompany you, if you wish, and if they continue to reject you I will *unsure of what to say*"
-
> "I don't get it. What made me different?"
-
> "I don't get it. What made me different?"
>She shrugs. "Maybe you just sounded sincere enough. Maybe it just sounded like fun to go out and take whoever brought down Bhava-Agra."
>_
-
I'm just finishing up something real quick, and will be prepared to get back to this. I understand this has been a very difficult conversation to watch, and I thank everyone for having patience enough to let me go as far as I did with it.
For all that submitted suggestions, I do appreciate your input, and there was nothing submitted that I didn't consider. I just had a set path I've been following for a while, and I felt my inputs better followed what I thought was the best approach.
-
All right.
After spending most of the night dwelling on how to respond to Tenshi's latest rant (the "Why me?" question was more a delay tactic than anything else, though I liked the answer it got regardless), I have reminded myself of the old saying that "Rome wasn't built in a day". As much as I would like to, and as nice as it would be, we don't explicitly need to win Tenshi over right now. Really, I get the feeling this is just another manifestation of charging into a situation where we assume we know enough to out-wordswordswords our "opponent" when we actually don't (Kanako, Suwako, Koishi).
At this point I think a more viable tactic is to relent for the time being, gather information about the rest of Bhava-Agra as best we can as we progress through the game, and poke Tenshi every so often to remind her that we haven't given up just yet and that we (sans Draco =P) want her back in Bhava-Agra after all this is over. Finding the idea of beating up whoever took Bhava-Agra down "fun" shows that she's not a completely lost cause.
What we have here is not a finished product, but it's a start. An acceptable start, and one off of which we can build.
Now all we need to do is constantly avoid any curiosity she may show toward what interest we have in the shadows and any trips underground we may take. <_< The last thing I want is people getting big heads from Maribel getting away with blowing Sakuya's secret and thinking that we can just blab private information to whoever we want with no fear of repercussions. Especially since pissing Utsuho off is Not A Good Idea.
> "Well...all right then. And I'm glad to hear you thought that way about me. I hope I can continue to improve that assessment."
> "Anyway, as you are...rather adamant against the only thing I wished you would do, I can only turn your question back around. What is it you want to do right now?"
-
> "Well...all right then. And I'm glad to hear you thought that way about me. I hope I can continue to improve that assessment."
> "Anyway, as you are...rather adamant against the only thing I wished you would do, I can only turn your question back around. What is it you want to do right now?"
>"I just want to stop being a sucker, okay?" Tenshi replies. "I'm tired of it all."
>_
-
> "I understand that, and I hope for that and will work toward that myself. But I meant in a more immediate sense. Is there any task in particular you want to do? Any particular location you want to visit?"
-
> "I understand that, and I hope for that and will work toward that myself. But I meant in a more immediate sense. Is there any task in particular you want to do? Any particular location you want to visit?"
>"Well, um..." says Tenshi, frowning a bit. "I wouldn't getting some lamprey skewers. But...maybe we really ought to deal with that tsuchinoko, because I wasn't kidding when I said it was over there"
>This time, she points, a bit to the right and clearly looking behind you.
>_
-
> How hungry are we?
> "I suppose I could go for a bit a food. I don't have a lot of money on me, though."
>"But if you think the snake is best dealt with now, then we can do that first."
-
> How hungry are we?
> "I suppose I could go for a bit a food. I don't have a lot of money on me, though."
>"But if you think the snake is best dealt with now, then we can do that first."
>You wouldn't mind something to eat, honestly.
>"Oh," she says. "And...yeah. It's kinda right there..."
>_
-
> Turn around. Look for snake. Lightning dance!
-
Yeah, conversation's mostly over now. I have a few ideas for post-battle, though, that will hopefully build on what this has started.
-
> Turn around. Look for snake. Lightning dance!
>You finally look where Tenshi is indicating.
>You didn't notice it at first, as it is half buried in a pile of leaves, but there is definitely a snake there! It looks at you with little black button eyes, and flicks its tongue in your direction. It doesn't seem to be very large, but it's also buried in leaves.
>_
-
> "So what's up with this thing, anyway?"
> Make no aggressive movement yet.
-
> "So what's up with this thing, anyway?"
> Make no aggressive movement yet.
>"It's sneaky, that's what!" says Tenshi. "It got me with those vines!"
>You make no aggressive movement. It continues to watch you.
>_
-
> "Yeah, that was very surprising. It must be pretty formidable if it was able to get you like that."
> How exactly did Minoriko want us to take care of this snake?
> "Did the vines get you from the trees, or from the ground? Maybe we can avoid getting tangled up again."
-
> "Yeah, that was very surprising. It must be pretty formidable if it was able to get you like that."
> How exactly did Minoriko want us to take care of this snake?
> "Did the vines get you from the trees, or from the ground? Maybe we can avoid getting tangled up again."
>She simply said to deal with it in some fashion. Presumably one that would keep it from getting into the granary.
>"From the trees," says Tenshi. "I don't think it makes them, it just uses what's here."
>It flicks it's tongue in your direction again.
>_
-
> "Do you know how quickly it moves?"
> Flick our tongue back at it.
-
> "Do you know how quickly it moves?"
> Flick our tongue back at it.
>"I don't know how fast it usually is," says Tenshi, glaring at it. "But, it can use vines and stuff to move itself, pretty fast."
>You flick your tongue at it. It doesn't seem to react appreciably, save to repeat the gesture. "You are so silly, sometimes," Tenshi says.
>_
-
> Grin.
> "I've always wanted to do that."
> Can we see any vines on the ground near the snake, or is it too leaf-covered?
-
> Grin.
> "I've always wanted to do that."
>"Huh," says Tenshi. "So...what're you gonna do about this thing?"
>_
-
> Can we see any vines on the ground near the snake, or is it too leaf-covered?
> When Minoriko mentioned this shake as a problem, was it being actively antagonistic, or was it just kind of floating around the granary area?
-
> Can we see any vines on the ground near the snake, or is it too leaf-covered?
> When Minoriko mentioned this shake as a problem, was it being actively antagonistic, or was it just kind of floating around the granary area?
>Too many leaves to be sure, but the creepers seem to mostly be on the trees.
>She seemed to indicate it was a future probably that was high probable, rather than one occurring at the moment.
>_
-
All right. Now that we've moved on to something more conventional, how do we want to handle this? There's the obvious option of killing it, but as it hasn't actually done anything antagonistic yet, I'm not sure I'm up for killing in cold blood, and I'm not sure Iku would be up for that either, especially given the parallels between its situation and hers.
We could knock it out, I guess, which wouldn't remove the hypocrisy of beating up on an innocent but at least it also wouldn't be taking a life.
We could lure it away from the area, but we'd need something with which to lure it, and we'd need to lure it somewhere that we can be reasonably sure it won't bother the granary. Byakuren seems as good an option as any for this.
Anyone have any preferences, or any other ideas?
-
I wonder if there's a way to capture or relocate it...
What would Byakuren do with it anyway?
And I also wonder if this tsuchinoko can talk.
>Inventory
-
I'd try to lure it someplace else, personally, but what if it decides to come back? We'd have to confine it in the area we lure it to.
As for bait...if it's looking to get into the granary, it's probably not picky about what it eats. A couple peaches might work, but that's dependent on Tenshi being willing to go get them.
-
>Inventory
>Wide-brimmed hat (worn as hat)
>Exceedingly Stylish!
>Flamenco Dress (worn as dress)
>Allows both modesty and freedom of movement
>Pink Shawl
>A shawl that represents your status as a part of Bhava-Arga and allows you to defend yourself with devastating techniques.
>Large Black Purse
>Exactly what it sounds like. It holds all your stuff
>Spine Sign: "Acanthodii of the Thunder Clouds"
>This spellcard engulfs you in a shield of electricity. It can be broken with enough force, and only lasts for a short time before it must be renewed
>Light Orb: "Dragon's Gleaming Eyes"
>This recreates an image of one of The Dragon's physical manifestations in lightning and sends it out.
>Cloud Realm: "The Thunder Court in the Sea of Abstruse Clouds"
>Fills the air with webs of lightning, but leaves you motionless.
>Dragonfish: "Dragon Palace's Messenger Swimming Shot"
>Sends electricity spiraling out from you, but leaves you defenseless.
>6☼
>This is 6☼
>_
-
> How far away from the edge of the forest are we?
> "Do you happen to have anything that we could use to lure it away from here?"
-
> How far away from the edge of the forest are we?
> "Do you happen to have anything that we could use to lure it away from here?"
>It's a little bit of a distance, following the way you came in. Going the other directions, you aren't too sure.
>"I have a little money," says Tenshi, "But I don't think it cares about that kind of thing."
>_
-
I'm going to be out all day, so if we don't want to lose initiative, other people are going to have to take care of this thing.
> Frown.
> "I think we may have no choice but to just knock it out. I don't like doing it, but I don't see a better alternative."
> "Wish I had thought to grab some peaches."
-
I'm going to be out all day, so if we don't want to lose initiative, other people are going to have to take care of this thing.
> Frown.
> "I think we may have no choice but to just knock it out. I don't like doing it, but I don't see a better alternative."
> "Wish I had thought to grab some peaches."
>"I think it's a great alternative," says Tenshi, "I was hanging up there for like three hours!"
>_
-
> "Granted. I'd rather not kill it, but I'd be okay just knocking it out, then."
-
> "Granted. I'd rather not kill it, but I'd be okay just knocking it out, then."
>She nods. "What's the plan? I tried to just rush the stupid thing last time."
>_
-
Come on, guys. :|
> How much leaf cover does the snake have?
-
It's a stretch but...
> ...Is Tenshi wearing her usual peach-hat?
> If not, ponder if it would be safe to briefly scan the area for possible lures.
-
> How much leaf cover does the snake have?
>It is mostly buried. You just see its head poking out under a leaf.
> ...Is Tenshi wearing her usual peach-hat?
> If not, ponder if it would be safe to briefly scan the area for possible lures.
>She is...oh wait, the peaches are missing from it. Apparently the tsuchinoko had the same idea before you did.
>You probably could, it doesn't seem to be preparing to strike immediately. What do you have in mind for a lure?
>_
-
> If it's taken the peaches from Tenshi's hat, it probably likes fruit. Any fruit around?
-
> If it's taken the peaches from Tenshi's hat, it probably likes fruit. Any fruit around?
>You do not see any. However, you do note the stalks of what were once mushrooms around, as well. The caps have been bitten off, as well as much of the stalks.
>_
-
> What kind of magic does Tenshi specialize in? How does she fight?
-
> What kind of magic does Tenshi specialize in? How does she fight?
>Tenshi isn't much of a magic user; she can conjure keystones and has some earth manipulation when using the sword. Really, she's more of a brawler than anything.
>_
-
> Can we control the ampage of our lightning danmaku? Could we make it powerful enough to stun and possibly knock out, but not quite powerful enough to kill?
> How fast do Tenshi's stone colums jut up from the ground? Does she have some degree of freedom over those?
> Are we anywhere near a somewhat clear area, or are we completely surrounded by dense wood?
Idea: Use mushrooms to lure the snake to an area of the forest with little overhead foliage, have Tenshi smack it into the air with her ground columns, zap the snake while it's in the air to knock it out.
-
> Can we control the ampage of our lightning danmaku? Could we make it powerful enough to stun and possibly knock out, but not quite powerful enough to kill?
> How fast do Tenshi's stone colums jut up from the ground? Does she have some degree of freedom over those?
> Are we anywhere near a somewhat clear area, or are we completely surrounded by dense wood?
Idea: Use mushrooms to lure the snake to an area of the forest with little overhead foliage, have Tenshi smack it into the air with her ground columns, zap the snake while it's in the air to knock it out.
>Your danmaku does this by default.
>You can see it coming if you know she's going to do it. But, they are fairly fast. You have no idea how good she is with them.
>You are surrounded, but the wood isn't that dense.
>_
-
> How clear is the air directly above the snake? Fairly open, or lots of branches it could get tangled on?
> To Tenshi: "Okay, I have an idea. How quick can you be with those earth columns of yours, and how small can you make them?"
-
> How clear is the air directly above the snake? Fairly open, or lots of branches it could get tangled on?
> To Tenshi: "Okay, I have an idea. How quick can you be with those earth columns of yours, and how small can you make them?"
>There's a fair number of branches above it.
>"It'd take me a moment," she says, "But I could make one about a few feet across."
>_
-
> "All right. I'm going to try to lure the snake into a space where there aren't too many branches above it. When that happens, you should make an earth column underneath it. It should go flying into the air, and I'll zap it while it's stunned. How does that sound?"
-
> "All right. I'm going to try to lure the snake into a space where there aren't too many branches above it. When that happens, you should make an earth column underneath it. It should go flying into the air, and I'll zap it while it's stunned. How does that sound?"
>"I'll send it flying, alright!" says Tenshi.
>_
-
> Is there any open air between us and the snake?
> Are there any mushrooms within reach?
> "Excellent."
> Check back in on the snake.
-
> Is there any open air between us and the snake?
> Are there any mushrooms within reach?
> "Excellent."
> Check back in on the snake.
>Yes.
>You do not see any mushrooms around.
>You look back at the snake. It watches you with its little black button eyes, and flicks its tongue in your direction.
>_
-
> Are there any stems of bitten mushrooms within grabbing range?
-
> Are there any stems of bitten mushrooms within grabbing range?
>There are.
>_
-
Suggestion: If the mushroom stems don't work, try holding out a ☼. Maybe it likes shiny things.
-
> Grab for a stalk. Preferably one that hasn't been bitten down too far.
> To Tenshi, while we're reaching: "Ready?"
-
> Grab for a stalk. Preferably one that hasn't been bitten down too far.
> To Tenshi, while we're reaching: "Ready?"
>You pluck off a stalk that hasn't been gnawed on too far. The tsuchinoko watches you as you do.
>You obtain: Gnawed Mushroom Stalk
>"Ready," says Tenshi.
>_
-
> Slowly maneuver ourselves a little bit so the snake will have to cross ground with open air above were it to slither directly toward us.
> Hold the stalk out a bit toward the snake, and wiggle it a little bit.
> In a lighter, softer voice: "Hey. You want some?"
-
> Slowly maneuver ourselves a little bit so the snake will have to cross ground with open air above were it to slither directly toward us.
> Hold the stalk out a bit toward the snake, and wiggle it a little bit.
> In a lighter, softer voice: "Hey. You want some?"
>You maneuver so that you're in a spot where the tree canopy is light, and try to entice the tsuchinoko out with the mushroom stalk.
>It's head follows the stalk, but it doesn't seem very interested in moving.
>_
-
> Tap the stalk on the ground a couple of times with one hand.
> Reach into our purse and grab a coin with the other.
-
> Tap the stalk on the ground a couple of times with one hand.
> Reach into our purse and grab a coin with the other.
>You tap the stalk on the ground, and produce a coin with the other hand.
>The tsuchinoko watches your coin-bearing hand, and flicks its tongue out again.
>_
-
> Wiggle the coin a little bit. If we can catch some sunlight with it, try to bounce a light reflection off the snake's eyes for a fraction of a second.
-
> Wiggle the coin a little bit. If we can catch some sunlight with it, try to bounce a light reflection off the snake's eyes for a fraction of a second.
>You wiggle the coin a bit and try to catch the light.
>The tsuchinoko leans forward a bit, you can hear its leaf bed shifting.
>_
-
> "Yeah. Look at this. What is it?"
-
> "Yeah. Look at this. What is it?"
>The tsuchinoko flicks out its tongue. You hear a rustling in the leaves.
>_
-
Whoops forgot about this.
> Pull the coin back a little bit and stop wiggling it.
> Ready ourselves to jump back as necessary.
-
> Pull the coin back a little bit and stop wiggling it.
> Ready ourselves to jump back as necessary.
>You pull the coin back a bit, and the tsuchinoko stops leaning forward.
>_
-
> Put the coin back out and wiggle it again.
> Airy voice: "Oh, sorry. Here you go."
-
> Put the coin back out and wiggle it again.
> Airy voice: "Oh, sorry. Here you go."
>You offer out the coin again. It leans forward again, exposing it a bit of its rather rotund form.
>_
-
> Can we tell yet how long it might be?
> Continue wiggling the coin.
> "Yeah, here it is!"
-
> Can we tell yet how long it might be?
> Continue wiggling the coin.
> "Yeah, here it is!"
>Not really, but looking at how wide it seems to be, you can't imagine it's coiled up in that pile of leaves very effectively.
>There is a sign of shuffling leaves, as the tsuchinoko starts to approach...along with its leaf pile. You can't see how it is doing this, but it seems to be using the leaf pile as a kind of litter to convey it.
>The tsuchinoko slowly approaches, flicking out its tongue.
>_
-
Wow, I didn't actually expect the coin to work. :V
> Keep wiggling the coin, being ready to back away if it lunges.
-
> How close is the snake to being below open air?
-
> Keep wiggling the coin, being ready to back away if it lunges.
>You keep trying to entice it with the coin, when you feel a sort of shock run through the earth. Then a wall of rock suddenly fills your vision.
>"Now!" Tenshi cries.
>_
-
> Look up and find the snake!
> Zap it! Zap it with enough to knock it out!
-
> Look up and find the snake!
> Zap it! Zap it with enough to knock it out!
>You look up, and see the tsuchinoko!
>It seems to have formed its pile of leaves into a crude set of wings, and is gliding away.
>_
-
> Fly up into the open air a little bit and try to electrocute it.
-
> Fly up into the open air a little bit and try to electrocute it.
>You fly up after it!
>Flying up above the tree line, you see it gliding toward the southeast, to other parts of the forest.
>You send a bolt of lightning arcing toward it. It banks out of the way, as you conjure it, letting the lighting pass by it's side.
>_
-
> Can we fire more than one bolt of lightning at once?
-
> Can we fire more than one bolt of lightning at once?
>You can direct them to fork, but it is a little unpredictable, and takes a little more time to ready.
>_
-
> "Tenshi! Can you keep it distracted with some normal shots?"
> Fire another bolt at it.
-
> "Tenshi! Can you keep it distracted with some normal shots?"
> Fire another bolt at it.
>"What?" Tenshi says from below, "Fine, let me get up there!"
>You fire another bolt at it. Unfortunately, it's further away now, and harder to hit properly. It is also gliding closer to the tree line as it carries onward. As you do, you head Tenshi ascending through the trees.
>_
-
> Speed up after it. Fire some normal shots, scattered around it a bit, rather than throwing bolts of lightning at it.
-
> Speed up after it. Fire some normal shots, scattered around it a bit, rather than throwing bolts of lightning at it.
>You fly after the escaping Tsuchinoko, tossing out some more mundane shots. It banks left and right, really without necessity, as they fly by it, then it dives more steeply toward the tree line.
>_
-
> Wait, it's going down?
If someone better suited for combat wants to take over, I'm all ears. I have no spatial geometry imagination. >_>
-
> Wait, it's going down?
>Yes. Gliding tends to lead to that to begin with, and it seems to be angling more strongly downward, now.
>_
-
>Is Tenshi above the trees yet?
-
>Is Tenshi above the trees yet?
>You glance back and see her coming up. Without delay, she sends a keystone flying in the tsuchinoko's direction, forcing it to bank aside.
>_
-
>Send a bolt of lightning to the side of it oposite to the keystone and slightly under it, trying to trap it betwen the bolt and the keystone
-
>Send a bolt of lightning to the side of it oposite to the keystone and slightly under it, trying to trap it betwen the bolt and the keystone
>You try to anticipate where the tsuchinoko is going to maneuver, and send some lightning flying there.
>It banks away from the keystone, then sees your attack and tries to change the angle of its motion. The bolt is too fast, and connects with it solidly. Its wings fly apart into a burst of leaves, and it drops through the trees.
>_
-
> Flash a thumbs-up behind us.
> "Nice!"
> Dart after the snake. Don't want to lose it in the forest, now.
-
> Flash a thumbs-up behind us.
> "Nice!"
> Dart after the snake. Don't want to lose it in the forest, now.
>You give Tenshi an thumbs up, the head down into the forest after it.
>You descend down, and find the serpent passed out on the ground, with a few small broken branches around it. Now that you have a better look at it, you see that it is about a foot and a half long, with green scales that bear grass shadow stripes on its back. It looks rather like it swallowed a stone about as long as it is. No wonder it used a litter of leaves to get around, you doubt it could slither effectively. Perhaps it could roll. It is weirdly cute, in its own way.
>_
-
>poke it just to be sure
>if it doesn't move pick it up and see if Tenshi's nearby
Yay my first useful action ever, I'll let kilga handle talking to Tenshi though I'm horrible at conversation
-
>poke it just to be sure
>if it doesn't move pick it up and see if Tenshi's nearby
Yay my first useful action ever, I'll let kilga handle talking to Tenshi though I'm horrible at conversation
>You poke it. It does not move.
>You pick the Tsuchinoko up, it certainly weighs enough to feel like it swallowed a stone!
>You obtain: Unconscious Tsuchinoko
>Looking up, it seems that Tenshi is descending down to join you.
>_
-
> "Thank you for the assist. I don't think I could have caught it alone."
-
> "Thank you for the assist. I don't think I could have caught it alone."
>"Obviously," says Tenshi. "So...um, now what?"
>_
-
> "Perhaps we could take it to Lady Byakuren? I admit I am not sure myself."
-
> "Perhaps we could take it to Lady Byakuren? I admit I am not sure myself."
>"What would she want with it?" asks Tenshi, frowning at the serpent in your hands. "Trust me, I've seen how much she eats on her own. She definitely doesn't need this thing competing with her."
>_
-
> Consider if we know anyone that could take proper care of an exotic pet.
-
> Consider if we know anyone that could take proper care of an exotic pet.
>That's an interesting question. You suspect one of the manor houses could take it in. But whether or not they would want to...
>_
-
> "I imagine she won't want much to do with it, but I trust her to have a better idea idea of what to do with it than I do, and I trust her to not assault us on sight."
> "Though I guess we could go back to visit Minoriko instead and hand it off to her, since she was the one that wanted this done."
> Are either the human village or Youkai Mountain very far from where we are?
-
> "I imagine she won't want much to do with it, but I trust her to have a better idea idea of what to do with it than I do, and I trust her to not assault us on sight."
> "Though I guess we could go back to visit Minoriko instead and hand it off to her, since she was the one that wanted this done."
> Are either the human village or Youkai Mountain very far from where we are?
>Tenshi shrugs. "Your choice."
>The human village isn't too far off. Youkai mountain is some distance from here, but not that much distance.
>_
-
> Do we think we could find Minoriko again without too much trouble?
-
Bear in mind that that's also dependent on the tsuchinoko staying unconscious. Byakuren is closer, so there's less of a chance of it waking up on us, but she probably won't want it anywhere near the granary...
-
With as much as it weighs, I'm willing to bet we will feel it start to stir, should that come up.
I also don't expect something that got completely knocked out to start stirring ten minutes later, though I guess I don't have much experience in that area.
-
> Do we think we could find Minoriko again without too much trouble?
>You don't know.
>_
-
> Did we meet Minoriko in the woods by chance, or did we run into her at her home?
-
> Did we meet Minoriko in the woods by chance, or did we run into her at her home?
>It seemed to be by chance. But you don't really know if it was truly chance, or she was simply acting like a deity.
>_
-
FUCK IT, I'M GOIN' DEEP
> "You know what? I think you have a point about Byakuren. Let's take this snake to Minoriko."
> Let's fly up and head toward Youkai Mountain.
> Keep close tabs on the snake, to make sure it doesn't start recovering.
-
> "You know what? I think you have a point about Byakuren. Let's take this snake to Minoriko."
> Let's fly up and head toward Youkai Mountain.
> Keep close tabs on the snake, to make sure it doesn't start recovering.
>Tenshi nods and says, "Yeah."
>You take to the air and head toward Youkai Mountain. You keep a careful watch on the serpent you are carrying along the way. As you make your way from the forest toward Youkai Mountain, you pass by a sizable island floating over the fields between the human town and the road toward the mountain. Glancing at it, you confirm your suspicion that there is a modest settlement on it, spread out among a grassy field. There doesn't seem to be much activity.
>Soon, you reach the outskirts of the goddesses' forest. It is about as you remember it.
>_
>_
-
> Make our way toward an obvious path into the forest.
> "Hey, Tenshi."
-
> Make our way toward an obvious path into the forest.
> "Hey, Tenshi."
>You follow the road that leads to the kappa village, which would be the most obvious path.
>"What?" she asks, following behind you.
>_
-
> "Thanks for being here."
-
> "Thanks for being here."
>"Yeah, yeah," says Tenshi.
>_
-
> Depressed sigh.
> Continue into the woods. Keep an eye out for people.
-
> Depressed sigh.
> Continue into the woods. Keep an eye out for people.
>You sigh. Never gives you a break, does she?
>Continuing along the road, you keep your eye out for people. Soon enough, you see Minoriko in the distance, sitting on a rock and seemingly staring off into space.
>_
-
> Check the snake one more time to make sure it's still out.
> If it is, head over to Minoriko with the snake.
-
> Check the snake one more time to make sure it's still out.
> If it is, head over to Minoriko with the snake.
>You check the tsuchinoko again, and find it is still out cold. You would feel a bit sorry for it if not for the fact it is apparently a harvest ruiner. And indirectly have you a bad time with Tenshi.
>You approach Minoriko. "Ah, excellent work, Messenger," she says, not opening her eyes.
>_
-
> "Thank you. This was, however, a team effort, so I cannot take all the credit."
> "Anyway...what should I do with this little bugger?"
-
> "Thank you. This was, however, a team effort, so I cannot take all the credit."
> "Anyway...what should I do with this little bugger?"
>She nods. "Very well. Then thank you both."
>"Leave it with me," says Minoriko. "I shall see that it is dealt with."
>_
-
> "Understood. And thank you for efforts."
> Lay the snake at Minoriko's feet.
-
> "Understood. And thank you for efforts."
> Lay the snake at Minoriko's feet.
>She nods. "You've saved me much trouble."
>You lay the snake at Minoriko's feet and...wow, she doesn't have a proper right foot. It's kind of disturbing up close.
>_
-
> "Um...if I may ask, are tsuchinokos normally...this, uh...fat?"
-
> "Um...if I may ask, are tsuchinokos normally...this, uh...fat?"
>She nods. "It is to them what long ears are to rabbits."
>_
-
> "I see."
> What exactly is wrong with her right foot?
> "Anyway, it seems you are in the middle of something, so we will take our leave now."
-
> "I see."
> What exactly is wrong with her right foot?
> "Anyway, it seems you are in the middle of something, so we will take our leave now."
>You had heard she was two left feet, but always thought it was metaphorical. But no, it is quite true. How disturbing...
>She nods. "I wish you both well."
>_
-
> Head out of the forest, back the way we came.
> Assuming Tenshi doesn't prompt us before we get out of the forest: "So, you still want some lamprey?"
-
> Head out of the forest, back the way we came.
> Assuming Tenshi doesn't prompt us before we get out of the forest: "So, you still want some lamprey?"
>You head back out, quietly happy not to have to pass through Hina's part of the forest again.
>"Sure," says Tenshi.
>_
-
> Do we know where the lamprey stand is?
-
> Do we know where the lamprey stand is?
>You have a pretty decent idea where it is.
>_
-
> "All right, let's head to the stand."
> Head toward the lamprey stand via flight.
> Along the way: "Um...if I may ask...when will you want to replace the peaches on your hat?"
-
> "All right, let's head to the stand."
> Head toward the lamprey stand via flight.
> Along the way: "Um...if I may ask...when will you want to replace the peaches on your hat?"
>You fly in the general direction of the stand, approaching the Forest of Magic. You know the stand is somewhere in the northeastern part of the woods, and not too terribly far from the road. It would also be moderately close to the forested isle that the Tenshi's younger sister is on.
>As you gt closer, you ask Tenshi about her hat. "Eh, I'll get to it sooner or later," she says.
>You reach the proper area, noticing the aforementioned isle is not too far away. You also notice an small island, about ten yards across, that seems to have quite a few faeries flying over it, firing danmaku and causing a general ruckus.
>_
-
>do the fairies seem like they are causing a specific ruckus or are they just being fairies?
-
>do the fairies seem like they are causing a specific ruckus or are they just being fairies?
>It seems like they are fighting. So it could be either way, really. You are fairly sure they're all Gensokyoan faeries.
>_
-
> "Hey Tenshi, do you mind if I investigate that fight? You can come with if you like, but I'd understand if you didn't want to."
-
> "Hey Tenshi, do you mind if I investigate that fight? You can come with if you like, but I'd understand if you didn't want to."
>"Naw, go ahead," says Tenshi. "But I'd be ready to get sucked into it, if I were you."
>_
-
> Clench fist.
> "Truth be told, I could use some stress relief. I'll just pretend whoever I have to fight is that stupid muscle-bound oaf."
> Unclench fist.
> "Anyway. I hope whatever this fight about will be a self-contained thing, and I can simply meet back up with you at the lamprey grill. If it isn't, I'll do my best to get back to the grill to meet you anyway, to let youk now where I have to go. Sound good?"
-
> Clench fist.
> "Truth be told, I could use some stress relief. I'll just pretend whoever I have to fight is that stupid muscle-bound oaf."
> Unclench fist.
> "Anyway. I hope whatever this fight about will be a self-contained thing, and I can simply meet back up with you at the lamprey grill. If it isn't, I'll do my best to get back to the grill to meet you anyway, to let youk now where I have to go. Sound good?"
>You vent your frustrations a bit. Tenshi chuckles. "I won't say anything if you won't."
>"Okay, I'll wait for you at the stand," says Tenshi.
>_
-
> "All right then. See you later."
> Head up to the fairy war island.
-
> "All right then. See you later."
> Head up to the fairy war island.
>"See ya there," says Tenshi, as she descends toward the forest.
>You head toward the faerie battle. There are a few dozen of them, flying and swooping and shooting at each other, and shouting some rather silly and nasty things at each other. The island itself is not really special, just a small grassy plain with a few largish rocks..
>_
-
> Are there any fairies around that do not appear to be taking part in the battle?
> Examine the rocks a little more closely, if we can from where we are floating. Is there anything strange or unique about them?
-
> Are there any fairies around that do not appear to be taking part in the battle?
> Examine the rocks a little more closely, if we can from where we are floating. Is there anything strange or unique about them?
>They all seem to be involved.
>You look at the rocks more closely. They seem to be quite unremarkable.
>_
-
> Fly around the circumference of the island to see if there's anything on it that the fairies might be fighting over.
-
> Fly around the circumference of the island to see if there's anything on it that the fairies might be fighting over.
>You fly around the island, having to stop once or twice to let an errant bullet go past.
>You can see nothing particularly interesting or valuable about it.
>_
-
> Are they damaging the island?
-
> Are they damaging the island?
>It doesn't appear that they are.
>_
-
> Shrug shoulders.
> Head back, toward the lamprey stand.
-
> Shrug shoulders.
> Head back, toward the lamprey stand.
>You decide that you have no idea what they're fighting over, and leave the faeries alone to their angry shouting and invectives.
>You follow Tenshi's path toward the stand, quietly happy she showed you exactly where it is. Descending through the closely woven boughs is a bit unpleasant, but you pull it off without hurting yourself.
>The stand is in the middle of the forest, a decently-sized wooden establishment with enough seats for five people. Though a curtain mostly obscures your view, you can see Tenshi's skirt from below it. Fallen leaves are thick on the ground, more than ankle deep. The trees have exhausted a lot of their reserves, but still had some more leaves to give before exhausting themselves. To the east a a few yards, you can see a fairly sizable daub and wattle house, mostly certainly Mystia's. You can distantly hear the faeries scuffling over the sound of sizzling meat, while the odor in the air is absolutely delicious.
>_
-
> Enter stand.
-
> Enter stand.
>You step through the curtain.
>It is warm and comfortable in here; and feels a bit cramped. Tenshi occupies the left-most seat, while Mystia is scraping something off the grill.
>"-real problem is when a leaf drifts in, lands on the grill, and catches fire," says Mystia to Tenshi, then she looks over to you. "Come on in, make yourself comfortable. It's 5☼ for a small, and 10☼ for a large."
>_
-
> "Thanks."
> Take the seat next to Tenshi.
> Fish out 5☼ and put it on any available space that's not the grill.
-
> "Thanks."
> Take the seat next to Tenshi.
> Fish out 5☼ and put it on any available space that's not the grill.
>You take out five ☼ and place it on the counter. "Lamprey, Snapper, or Bream?" asks Mystia.
>"So what was going on?" asks Tenshi. "That didn't take you long."
>_
-
> Which of those three sounds the best to us?
-
> Which of those three sounds the best to us?
>You're especially experienced with these kind of things. But you've had good experiences with snapper.
>_
-
> To Mystia: "Snapper, please."
> To Tenshi: "No clue. Fairies being fairies, as far as I could tell. Fighting over God-knows-what, and nothing special about the island they were on."
-
> To Mystia: "Snapper, please."
> To Tenshi: "No clue. Fairies being fairies, as far as I could tell. Fighting over God-knows-what, and nothing special about the island they were on."
>She nods, and reaches under the counter.
>Tenshi nods.
>"That?" says Mystia, "They're arguing over the Brocken Spectre. I think they've been at it a good hour now."
>_
-
> Recall known information on this 'Brocken Spectre'.
-
> Recall known information on this 'Brocken Spectre'.
>You don't know much. Apparently it was some kind of thing in the forest a while back.
>_
-
>"What is this 'broken spectre' thing anyway? I've heard it was some thing in the forest but no details"
-
>"What is this 'broken spectre' thing anyway? I've heard it was some thing in the forest but no details"
>"Brocken Spectre," says Mystia, waving a finger. "It's some legendary giant that's supposed to be running around the forest. The paper did an story on it, right before the faeries took out Scarlet Devil Mansion, and there was a lot of excitement over it. People used to see it around the mountains, a while back, but it vanished for a long time. Then it was seen in the forest a couple months ago. A bunch of people have gotten into trying to find it lately; the paper runs a regular article on it now."
>"See, we thought it was a wild youkai, right?" says Tenshi. "But it turns out that it was just some thing they made for a kappa fair. But, then it turns out that apparently it was something else entirely and the hunt started up again."
>"Been good for business," says Mystia.
>"Yeah," Tenshi says with a nod.
>_
-
>"So, anyone have their pet theories as to what it really is?"
>"And any idea what might have gotten all those faeries so riled up about it this time? Did someone think they spotted something?"
-
>"So, anyone have their pet theories as to what it really is?"
>"And any idea what might have gotten all those faeries so riled up about it this time? Did someone think they spotted something?"
>"I guess it's probably a hoax," says Mystia with a shrug. "But maybe it's not?"
>"There's one out there," Tenshi says. "Hatate's found too many pictures for it to be otherwise."
>"I dunno..." says Mystia.
>You ask about the fight. "Well," says Mystia, "I think it was over whether or not the Brocken Spectre would be on Bhava-Agra."
>She flips the meat a bit, deftly skewers it on two separate sticks, then hands one to you and a larger one to Tenshi.
>_
-
>"Thank you"
>Accept the skewer
>Start to eat
>"What did those pictures look like, anyway?"
-
>"Thank you"
>Accept the skewer
>Start to eat
>"What did those pictures look like, anyway?"
>You accept the skewer and start on it with as much politeness as you can muster for meat on a stick. It is tasty, and very juicy! So juice, in fact, you burn your mouth. You're far too used to peaches, this always happens...
>"Weird shadows," says Mystia. "Kinda person-shaped, usually."
>"Other times, footprints and broken branches," says Tenshi through a mouthful of lamprey, "Stuff that shows it was there."
>"Maybe..." says Mystia.
>_
-
>"You said it used to be seen near the mountain, and that turned out to be something that kappa built, right? But now, this one's been seen in the forest near here? Does it ever get seen by the mountain now at all?"
>"Moreover, does it look more or less the same as the old one? I mean, is it still as large?"
-
>"You said it used to be seen near the mountain, and that turned out to be something that kappa built, right? But now, this one's been seen in the forest near here? Does it ever get seen by the mountain now at all?"
>"Moreover, does it look more or less the same as the old one? I mean, is it still as large?"
>"That's all I see in the paper, anyways," says Mystia. "But if you don't know where it is, I guess I could be in either. I dunno."
>"Hard to say," Mystia says as you ask about its size. "I don't know, never really thought about it. Probably not, I suppose."
>_
-
>"I was just thinking that if it was supposedly giant, those broken branches and footprints in the forest ought to be a lot more obvious, wouldn't they? I'd have a hard time believing something quite that bit could stay hidden in there for months, if someone wanted to find it, you know?"
-
>"I was just thinking that if it was supposedly giant, those broken branches and footprints in the forest ought to be a lot more obvious, wouldn't they? I'd have a hard time believing something quite that bit could stay hidden in there for months, if someone wanted to find it, you know?"
>"Eientei was hidden for centuries, though," says Tenshi. "And it's a big, huge mansion. It's pretty clear it knows how not to be seen most of the time."
>_
-
>"Point taken, although it clearly isn't quite so good if it's been spotted several times already."
>"That being said, you said it looks like a person-shaped shadow? Was that just because it was too dark or distant to make out, or did it actually seem to be made of shadow itself?"
-
>"Point taken, although it clearly isn't quite so good if it's been spotted several times already."
>"That being said, you said it looks like a person-shaped shadow? Was that just because it was too dark or distant to make out, or did it actually seem to be made of shadow itself?"
>"Well nobody's perfect," says Tenshi with a shrug.
>"The first one," says Mystia. Tenshi nods in agreement.
>_
-
>"Hmmm... well, I wonder if there's anything to it?"
>"How've things been out this way today, anyway? Given the day's events. Some people have taken it... less well than others."
-
>"Hmmm... well, I wonder if there's anything to it?"
>"How've things been out this way today, anyway? Given the day's events. Some people have taken it... less well than others."
>Mystia shrugs.
>"It's absolutely out there somewhere," says Tenshi.
>"Well, I was kinda worried at first," says Mystia. "Then some Celestials stopped by, and they were just as confused and scared as I was. Shame they didn't have any money on them, though, they were certainly interested in having some lamprey."
>_
-
>"Money like this isn't really used in Bhava-Agra, I'm afraid."
>"On the other hand, I'm glad that it's been relatively peaceful here, at least. I've been shot at more times today than I care to count, frankly. And celestials elsewhere have run into trouble with people from the surface, as well."
-
>"Money like this isn't really used in Bhava-Agra, I'm afraid."
>"On the other hand, I'm glad that it's been relatively peaceful here, at least. I've been shot at more times today than I care to count, frankly. And celestials elsewhere have run into trouble with people from the surface, as well."
>"Well, it's not terribly surprising, when you guys barge in here like an oni bridal shower," says Mystia. "I'm kinda worried about my apprentice, though. She's sort of a coward, so I can't imagine she's taking it well."
>_
-
>"Your apprentice?"
-
>"Your apprentice?"
>"Yeah, another bird youkai named Tokiko," says Mystia. "You'd know her if you see her. She's got two colors in her hair, kind of short, really..."
>She mimes a rather ample chest with her hands.
>"...kind of shy, but she's getting better about it. Really easy to startle, though."
>_
-
>"Oh, I actually bumped into her not long ago, then. She had been, uh, hiding under her futon since she saw the islands start to fall. I tried to assure her that things were okay, as best I could. Even invited her to have a few peaches at the orchard, if she felt up to it. I think she was at least considering it, although not necessarily inclined to step outside just then."
-
>"Oh, I actually bumped into her not long ago, then. She had been, uh, hiding under her futon since she saw the islands start to fall. I tried to assure her that things were okay, as best I could. Even invited her to have a few peaches at the orchard, if she felt up to it. I think she was at least considering it, although not necessarily inclined to step outside just then."
>"Really?" says Mystia. She smiles a little. "Well, that's good to hear. I was afraid she might have panicked and done something silly. ...Well, sillier. She'll probably come out in a little bit, then."
>_
-
>"I think I managed to reassure her a little, anyway. She does seem a nice girl, even if a little odd."
-
>"I think I managed to reassure her a little, anyway. She does seem a nice girl, even if a little odd."
>Mystia nods. "A little odd, yes. Been meaning to try and get her in contact with one of the chefs in the kappa village. She has to have a talent for sushi, what with all the raw stuff she's eaten..."
>_
-
>"How'd she end up as your apprentice, anyway? She had an interest in cooking?"
-
>"How'd she end up as your apprentice, anyway? She had an interest in cooking?"
>"Actually, she barely knew it existed," says Mystia. "She's a bit new. Got introduced to me by another new kid, human magician from the outside world, looks just like Yukari. She was worried about Tokiko, so I've been helping to show her the ropes."
>_
-
>"Oh, I think I met her today, too, actually. Maribel, her name is?"
>"How's Tokiko been taking to it, then?"
-
>"Oh, I think I met her today, too, actually. Maribel, her name is?"
>"How's Tokiko been taking to it, then?"
>Mystia nods. "That's her.
>"Pretty well," says Mystia. "She's pretty curious and chatty, once you get past her wariness at pretty much everything."
>_
-
>"Well, I can attest to the wariness, at the very least. But I think I could see the rest fitting, too."
>Around what time of day is it, now?
-
>"Well, I can attest to the wariness, at the very least. But I think I could see the rest fitting, too."
>Around what time of day is it, now?
>Mystia nods.
>It's a bit past noon. Maybe 1 PM or so.
>_
-
>Finish up that skewer
-
> "So it sounds like you tend to hear things around here. Have you heard anything about weird shadows recently? Not weird like the Brocken Spectre, weird like...well, to put it simply, the islands that dropped? They're not casting normal shadows. They're lighter than they should be."
-
>Finish up that skewer
>You finish up the skewer. It is tasty and satisfying, but your mouth is definitely going to be bothering you for a day or two from that burn. Vexing.
> "So it sounds like you tend to hear things around here. Have you heard anything about weird shadows recently? Not weird like the Brocken Spectre, weird like...well, to put it simply, the islands that dropped? They're not casting normal shadows. They're lighter than they should be."
>"I haven't heard about anything like that," says Mystia, shaking her head and frowning. "I didn't even know there was anything weird about the islands' shadows."
>_
-
>"Yes, I hadn't noticed it at first myself, either, but they're definitely abnormal. We think it may be connected to why they fell, but we don't have a lot of leads beyond that, really."
-
>"Yes, I hadn't noticed it at first myself, either, but they're definitely abnormal. We think it may be connected to why they fell, but we don't have a lot of leads beyond that, really."
>Mystia nods. "I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you should try to find out if anything was weird before it happened?"
>_
-
>"Oh, I've been trying, although it's been a bit of a difficult day all around. I was just curious if you might have heard anything, that's all. I imagine you do get your share of traffic through here, after all."
>Wait for Tenshi to finish up
-
>"Oh, I've been trying, although it's been a bit of a difficult day all around. I was just curious if you might have heard anything, that's all. I imagine you do get your share of traffic through here, after all."
>Wait for Tenshi to finish up
>"Well, there's been a lot of Underground people here," says Mystia. "I think they've been up to something. Umm...I'm pretty sure Renko has been one of the major organizers of the effort to find the Brocken Spectre." She frowns at the grill. "Um, I think Alice has taken up whittling. I don't see her much, but she's been by once or twice, and she's always carving up a piece of wood. That's about all I have."
>_
-
>"Thanks. I don't mean to grill you. ...no pun intended. It's just that there's been so little information to go on so far; every little bit can be helpful."
>"Oh, and thanks for the meal. It was tasty, as ever."
-
>"Thanks. I don't mean to grill you. ...no pun intended. It's just that there's been so little information to go on so far; every little bit can be helpful."
>"Oh, and thanks for the meal. It was tasty, as ever."
>Tenshi finishes off her skewer.
>She nods. "I guess you'll just have to go with what you can find."
>She smiles at your compliment. "Thanks!"
>_
-
>"Well, we probably should be heading off now. The sooner we can find some answers, the better for everyone involved, I think. Have a pleasant day, Mystia."
>Head off a little, in the direction of the main road
>To Tenshi, once away: "So, what now then?"
-
>"Well, we probably should be heading off now. The sooner we can find some answers, the better for everyone involved, I think. Have a pleasant day, Mystia."
>Head off a little, in the direction of the main road
>To Tenshi, once away: "So, what now then?"
>"Good luck!" says Mystia as the two of you depart.
>You ask Tenshi what now. She shrugs. "I dunno. You're the investigator."
>_
-
>"Perhaps, but I don't want to act as though you're just someone for me to drag along, either. Is there anything wrong with asking your opinion?"
-
>"Perhaps, but I don't want to act as though you're just someone for me to drag along, either. Is there anything wrong with asking your opinion?"
>"No," says Tenshi, "I just said, you're the investigator. Don't you think if I knew something, I'd say it? Do what you think we need to, geez..."
>_
-
Ok, I feel there's a bit of a conflict at the moment.
The most obviously useful thing to do at the moment is try to meet with Hina, and find out if she's learned anything about Nitori's condition. Unfortunately, we were also supposed to keep the entire thing about Nitori secret from everyone, and I'm inclined to think Tenshi also falls into that category. Unfortunately, given our recent encounters with her, we're also in a bad position to tell Tenshi essentially 'sorry, but I can't trust you with this, and need to go on alone'. I shudder at the reaction we might get from her if we tried that.
Can anyone think of anything else worth doing, or some pretext that could separate us briefly, without engendering any bad feelings? In fact, I'm a little wary of the potential fallout of splitting up at all, so quickly after last time, although if we can find a good reason for it...
Alternately, we can simply let Tenshi know, but, all things being equal, she's one of the last people in Gensokyo I'd trust with sensitive information. And even if we DID trust her fully, it's still something of a betrayal of our promise to Utsuho and Parsee to tell her without a better reason than 'sorry, couldn't ditch her'.
Opinions?
-
I've been thinking about this problem ever since it occurred to me about a week ago, and have yet to find what I feel to be a concrete answer. (Which I suppose is the point of being put in that situation in the first place.)
At this point, I think our best course of action is to bring Tenshi along for the ride. In doing a risk-reward assessment, I've concluded that Tenshi has everything to gain by being trustworthy, because it will work toward validating her stance that she's not below others, particularly us. She also has everything to lose by not being trustworthy - she'll lose a good deal of face by proving everyone right in that she isn't as good as the others, and then she'll lose the rest of her face once Utsuho and Yuugi break it off. She didn't like being zapped by a restrained Iku in the early game, there's no way she wants to deal with a pissed off Okuugi tandem that will be liable to forgo danmaku in favor of a straight-up beatdown due to how personal the issue is. As long as we're up-front about how big a secret this is and backhandedly threaten Tenshi with Okuugi by pointing out they're involved and that we're already betraying their trust to a degree, I think she'll get the message.
Given all that, the worst that happens to us is Nitori's friends get somewhat agitated that we told someone, and I think we can placate that a little bit with how we "can't betray a friend" and pointing out to them who either of us would have to answer to should this info leak out further.
-
I've been thinking about this problem ever since it occurred to me about a week ago, and have yet to find what I feel to be a concrete answer. (Which I suppose is the point of being put in that situation in the first place.)
Yeah, likewise. Was kind of hoping something would present itself, but nothing really has, so...
On the whole, I think you may be trusting too much in Tenshi properly evaluating what she has to gain by being trustworthy, or even really caring about said consequences. You're right in that there's potential for gain by doing it; I think I may simply evaluate the risk as higher than you do. That being said, I don't necessarily have a better alternative to propose at the moment, either. The only other task that occurs to me to do at all, in the meantime, is see if Renko and Maribel have dropped back home yet.
-
Actually, that's not a bad idea to do in the meantime. We can ask Renko about shadows, too, to see if she has any leads.
If we finish our errand and info-gathering without any new paths and there have been no other objections, however, then we might as well show Tenshi what's going on.
> "All right, then. Let's head back to the new girls' place, to see if they've returned home."
> Head back to the new girls' place, to see if they've returned home.
-
> "All right, then. Let's head back to the new girls' place, to see if they've returned home."
> Head back to the new girls' place, to see if they've returned home.
>"Sure, I guess," says Tenshi. "Why?"
>You head toward the recently reclaimed house. As you do, you see the brown-haired girl, Renko if you recall correctly, emerging from it with a coil of rope around her arms.
>She looks toward you and frowns a little. "Oh, um, hello?"
-
>"Hello again, Renko. I have a message from Patchouli for you and Maribel. Is she around?"
-
>"Hello again, Renko. I have a message from Patchouli for you and Maribel. Is she around?"
>"No, I was just making a run back to the house to get something. Um, what does Patchouli want?"
>_
-
>"She was thinking about forming a formal magician's circle, and was wondering if the two of you would be interested in joining."
-
>"She was thinking about forming a formal magician's circle, and was wondering if the two of you would be interested in joining."
>"Wow," says Renko, raising her eyes, "that sounds really awesome!"
>_
-
>Smile
>"Shall I take that as a yes, then?"
>"Patchouli said the first meeting would be this Hunter's Moon, at the mansion. I get the impression more details will be fleshed out then."
-
>Smile
>"Shall I take that as a yes, then?"
>"Patchouli said the first meeting would be this Hunter's Moon, at the mansion. I get the impression more details will be fleshed out then."
>"Wow, a real magican's circle..." says Renko, before giggling. "Um, is it okay if I bring Mary, too?"
>_
-
>"The invitation was extended to the both of you, yes."
-
>"The invitation was extended to the both of you, yes."
>"Oh good," says Renko, "She'll be thrilled!"
>_
-
>"Well, I'm happy to be the bearer of good news, then."
>"How's the exploring been, anyway?"
-
>"Well, I'm happy to be the bearer of good news, then."
>"How's the exploring been, anyway?"
>She nods. "Not as happy as me to get it. This sounds like it's going to be so cool!"
>"Pretty good. We've seen a lot of neat things."
>_
-
>"What's the rope for, anyway, if you don't mind my asking?"
-
>"What's the rope for, anyway, if you don't mind my asking?"
>"Oh, um, nothing special," says Renko, frowning a little.
>_
-
Either they're using it to catch the Brocken Spectre, or...yeah. >_>
Is that everyone we needed to tell about the magicians' circle? If so, when would be the best time to go tell Patchouli? I'm not sure if bringing Tenshi along for that would be a good idea, especially if she learns that Patchy burned her dress.
-
Either they're using it to catch the Brocken Spectre, or...yeah. >_>
Well, I'd assumed it was for some heavy lifting work of some sort in Bhava-Agra that Renko didn't really want Iku to know about. After all, it might involve someone else's property, etc.
Is that everyone we needed to tell about the magicians' circle? If so, when would be the best time to go tell Patchouli? I'm not sure if bringing Tenshi along for that would be a good idea, especially if she learns that Patchy burned her dress.
We only sort of half-told Marisa, since she started shooting at us afterward. However, we probably got the important bit across, and she said she'd go talk to Patchy about it herself later. We've told everyone else.
We could even go back to the SDM after this, I suppose. Although, all things being equal, I'd like to get to Hina as soon as possible. I don't think Tenshi would really be harmful to bring with us to the SDM. If Patchy, for whatever reason, decides to make a jab out of it, she'd be practically asking for it in her own library, and I doubt she'd do that. Otherwise, Tenshi doesn't seem to have a reason to misbehave while there.
>"I'm curious. Had you noticed the peculiarity with the islands' shadows?"
-
>"I'm curious. Had you noticed the peculiarity with the islands' shadows?"
>"No," says Renko. "What's wrong with them?"
>_
-
>"They're not nearly as dark as they ought to be."
-
>"They're not nearly as dark as they ought to be."
>She blinks, then walks around the house to have a look at the island not far away. She frowns at it. "Well, I'll be..." She glances back to you. "Never really paid that much attention to that. Why's it doing that?"
>_
-
> "To be honest? I was hoping you'd have an idea. I haven't heard much about the two of you, but what little I've heard tells me you enjoy investigating mysteries."
-
> "To be honest? I was hoping you'd have an idea. I haven't heard much about the two of you, but what little I've heard tells me you enjoy investigating mysteries."
>She nods. "Oh, we do! But this has me stumped." She frowns and shakes her head. "It really doesn't make any sense, but I guess that isn't too surprising, is it?"
>_
-
> "It isn't. I have yet to make sense of it myself. If you happen to hear anything in your travels, would you mind keeping me posted?"
-
> "It isn't. I have yet to make sense of it myself. If you happen to hear anything in your travels, would you mind keeping me posted?"
>"If I can find you," says Renko.
>_
-
> "Heh, I know how that feels. Anyway, thanks for helping me out. I will detain you no further. I wish you well in...whatever you have planned for that."
> Assuming Renko makes no effort to stop us, leave and fly toward the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
> Along the way, to Tenshi: "That was to complete a favor I owed Patchouli. She helped me in finding you."
-
> "Heh, I know how that feels. Anyway, thanks for helping me out. I will detain you no further. I wish you well in...whatever you have planned for that."
> Assuming Renko makes no effort to stop us, leave and fly toward the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
> Along the way, to Tenshi: "That was to complete a favor I owed Patchouli. She helped me in finding you."
>Renko nods. "Okay, good luck!"
>Rather than making any effort to stop you, Renko departs. You take flight and start toward Scarlet Devil Mansion. Looking toward Tenshi, you find her smirking. "Oh, did she? Well I guess that's nice. So we're gonna bother her about the shadow thing, then?"
>_
-
>"Well, I said that I would report the answers I received to her message. But yes, I think it also worth mentioning the shadow issue to Patchouli. She had no theories about the island's descent earlier, but this may be something more tangible to work with. At the very least, it cannot hurt."
-
>"Well, I said that I would report the answers I received to her message. But yes, I think it also worth mentioning the shadow issue to Patchouli. She had no theories about the island's descent earlier, but this may be something more tangible to work with. At the very least, it cannot hurt."
>Tenshi nods. "I guess that makes sense. Just, she's kind of a grouch, you know? Even when she's being fun, she's kind of a grouch. There was the one time, when we tried to steal Reimu's donation box, and I swear she was a stick in the mud the whole time..."
>_
-
>"I think that's just her way, although I agree with you."
>"...wait, Patchouli was trying to steal Reimu's donation box?"
-
>"I think that's just her way, although I agree with you."
>"...wait, Patchouli was trying to steal Reimu's donation box?"
>"It was last fall," says Tenshi.
>_
-
>"Hmmm.... I'm just a bit surprised, that's all. It doesn't seem like something she'd do."
-
>"Hmmm.... I'm just a bit surprised, that's all. It doesn't seem like something she'd do."
>"Probably not," says Tenshi. "It was my idea."
>_
-
>Unsurprising, of course...
>"I take it you didn't succeed, though?"
-
> "How did you get her to agree to that by the way?"
-
>Unsurprising, of course...
>"I take it you didn't succeed, though?"
>"We got distracted by a UFO spying on the shrine," says Tenshi.
> "How did you get her to agree to that by the way?"
>Tenshi shrugs. "I forgot. She wanted something or other, I think."
>_
-
>"Oh, I see."
>Continue on to the SDM
-
>"Oh, I see."
>Continue on to the SDM
>You decide that's about the best answer you are going to get, and carry on toward the mansion.
>You arrive there without problems. Viewing the gates from above, you see that usual gate guard is back in her place.
>_
-
>Descend
>"Good afternoon, Meiling. I'd like to speak with Patchouli. I have a message she asked me to relay to her."
-
>Descend
>"Good afternoon, Meiling. I'd like to speak with Patchouli. I have a message she asked me to relay to her."
>You descend, finding Meiling in front of the gate, looking reasonably content with the world. She grins as you draw near. "Oh, it's the second wave, is it?" she says before you can speak. Then she frowns as you say why you're here. "I dunno, that sounds like a trick...Um, give me a minute."
>She fiddles with something near the gate, keeping an eye on you and Tenshi the whole time.
>_
-
>"Despite what so many people seem to believe, this was not an invasion. We were at least as surprised by the islands falling as anyone down here was. I assure you, we mean no threat to you or this mansion."
-
>"Despite what so many people seem to believe, this was not an invasion. We were at least as surprised by the islands falling as anyone down here was. I assure you, we mean no threat to you or this mansion."
>"Naw, I think Mistress has the right of it," says Meiling, waving a hand. "You're just sore because you didn't expect us to be so awesome. But it's okay, no hard feelings."
>A celestial, wearing an apron and what you presume to be one of Sakuya's spare dresses, emerges from the mansion. "Hey," Meiling calls toward her, "go tell Patchouli that your boss is here to see her!"
>The celestial curtsies to Meiling, then heads back inside.
>_
-
>"Believe what you will. I have told you the truth; I cannot force you to accept it."
>Wait for a response from the mansion
-
>"Believe what you will. I have told you the truth; I cannot force you to accept it."
>Wait for a response from the mansion
>"I dunno," says Tenshi. "I bet if we hit her hard enough, we can knock some sense into her!"
>"Bring it on!" says Meiling, grinning again. "I'd be nice to round the day off on an even number!"
>_
-
>"And exactly how is being aggressive supposed to prove that we weren't being aggressive?"
-
>"And exactly how is being aggressive supposed to prove that we weren't being aggressive?"
>"This is this and that was that," says Tenshi, eying Meiling now. "She's being a idiot, we'll hit her until she stops. Simple!"
>_
-
>"I'm afraid if you had to go around hitting everyone who's accused me of lying to their face about this, you'd run out of hours in the day."
-
>"I'm afraid if you had to go around hitting everyone who's accused me of lying to their face about this, you'd run out of hours in the day."
>"That's what tomorrow's for," says Tenshi.
>"So, are we making this happen, or what?" says Meiling.
>_
-
>"Personally, I would rather not cause an incident. We came here to deliver a message, not start a fight. Although I can very much sympathize with your wanting to, for once."
>"Meiling, imagine for a moment, if you can, what it would be like to have person after person refuse to believe a word you say; to accuse you of attacking them, when it is your own people who are injured, to tell you that everything you say is some sort of elaborate ploy. Imagine for the moment that I really am telling the truth. How do you think that would feel, after the dozenth time?"
-
This may sound crazy, but I don't have any major objection to seeing Meiling v. Tenshi. >_>
-
Honestly, I don't think I really do, either. It might be good for Tenshi, even, and I'm sure Meiling won't hold it against her. I just don't want to cause issues with anyone ELSE in the household.
-
>"Personally, I would rather not cause an incident. We came here to deliver a message, not start a fight. Although I can very much sympathize with your wanting to, for once."
>"Meiling, imagine for a moment, if you can, what it would be like to have person after person refuse to believe a word you say; to accuse you of attacking them, when it is your own people who are injured, to tell you that everything you say is some sort of elaborate ploy. Imagine for the moment that I really am telling the truth. How do you think that would feel, after the dozenth time?"
>"We can do both things," says Tenshi.
>"See, you say that," sys Meiling, "But then there's the facts. Who's more likely to have something to hide about this? You or the Mistress? That answers itself."
>As she gives this explanation, the Celestial in maid's clothing steps out and approaches the gate. Meiling glances toward her. "Miss Patchouli-"
>Meiling clears her throat loudly and gives the Celestial a pointed look.
>"Ahem," says the Celestial, "Lady Patchouli would like to see them."
>"Alright," Meiling says, as she opens the gate. "Don't try to get any secrets, or we'll come down on you like a ton of bricks!"
>_
-
>"Understood."
>Enter the gate and head towards the mansion
>To Tenshi, once comfortably out of earshot: "I'm beginning to wonder why I waste my breath."
-
>"Understood."
>Enter the gate and head towards the mansion
>To Tenshi, once comfortably out of earshot: "I'm beginning to wonder why I waste my breath."
>You head through the gate and toward the mansion. As you do, you notice a couple of celestials in the statue garden to the east, along with a faerie maid shouting at them.
>"Yeah," says Tenshi. "I gave up a long time ago."
>_
-
>"I can say only that it will be extremely satisfying to finally discover the root cause and put an end to all this nonsense. Several hours ago would not have been too soon."
>Head to the library
-
>"I can say only that it will be extremely satisfying to finally discover the root cause and put an end to all this nonsense. Several hours ago would not have been too soon."
>Head to the library
>You head into the library, passing through an empty foyer. Tenshi looks around with a frown the library, making clear her lack of being impressed with it while watching a couple books moving from one shelf to another. You notice Petite down one of the aisles, staring hard at some volume she plucked from the shelf. Patchouli is still at her table, and save for a slight hint of char in the air, you would never have suspected what transpired here earlier.
>"Yes?" Says Patchouli, glancing up from her book.
>_
-
>"I thought that you would want to know that I delivered your message to the rest of the people on the list. Eirin said she would do her best to attend. Renko seemed very excited at the idea, and assured me Maribel would be as well. Marisa, well... technically I only gave her part of the message before she started shooting at me, but she said she'd get the rest of the details from you herself."
-
>"I thought that you would want to know that I delivered your message to the rest of the people on the list. Eirin said she would do her best to attend. Renko seemed very excited at the idea, and assured me Maribel would be as well. Marisa, well... technically I only gave her part of the message before she started shooting at me, but she said she'd get the rest of the details from you herself."
>"I consider myself paid in full, then," says Patchouli.
>_
-
>"I'm glad I could be of assistance."
>"On a related note, we've discovered something unusual about the islands which was overlooked at first. I don't know if you're aware of it, or if you have any idea what could cause it, but the islands' shadows are wrong. They're significantly fainter than they ought to be."
-
>"I'm glad I could be of assistance."
>"On a related note, we've discovered something unusual about the islands which was overlooked at first. I don't know if you're aware of it, or if you have any idea what could cause it, but the islands' shadows are wrong. They're significantly fainter than they ought to be."
>Patchouli heaves a sigh. "I suppose you're telling me about this because you want me to solve it for you?"
>_
-
>"I wouldn't go as far as that, necessarily. But you do know a great many things. It seemed at least possible you might know something about this, that's all."
-
>"I wouldn't go as far as that, necessarily. But you do know a great many things. It seemed at least possible you might know something about this, that's all."
>"Fine, give me the details," says Patchouli, her voice tinged with weariness.
>_
-
>"I'm afraid there's little more to say than what I've already said. The shadows the islands are casting on the ground below them are very faint. Abnormally so, for something so large, that close to the ground. I think there's a definite possibility this is connected to why they fell, in some way."
-
>"I'm afraid there's little more to say than what I've already said. The shadows the islands are casting on the ground below them are very faint. Abnormally so, for something so large, that close to the ground. I think there's a definite possibility this is connected to why they fell, in some way."
>"If that's all you have to say," says Patchouli, "Then I couldn't begin to narrow it down in any way that is helpful. You've done no follow-up investigation on your own?"
>_
-
>"I'm not sure how to assess them other than visually. I can say that they clearly look wrong, but I don't know to ascertain anything else about them."
>"I've spoken with a few other people on the subject, although most of them were similarly mystified. It was suggested that possibly something of their island's essence was stolen, although I'm uncertain how this could be done. Similarly, it was suggested they might have been cursed. I did ask Hina if she would take a look at it, although I haven't heard back from her yet."
>"Did you have any other avenues for direct investigation you could suggest? I feel out of my element, unfortunately."
-
>"I'm not sure how to assess them other than visually. I can say that they clearly look wrong, but I don't know to ascertain anything else about them."
>"I've spoken with a few other people on the subject, although most of them were similarly mystified. It was suggested that possibly something of their island's essence was stolen, although I'm uncertain how this could be done. Similarly, it was suggested they might have been cursed. I did ask Hina if she would take a look at it, although I haven't heard back from her yet."
>"Did you have any other avenues for direct investigation you could suggest? I feel out of my element, unfortunately."
>Patchouli gives you a long look. "So. You haven't even gotten information back from someone who might actually be able to say something specific useful, and you come to pester me? I swear, even the people from outside were better than this."
>She sighs again. "I suppose it's just as well, I doubt it's a curse. Hina, I imagine, would be very quickly aware of such a thing. And no, no you wouldn't know how to gather any useful thaumaturgical information about them, would you? Can't have Celestials sullying themselves with that sort of thing, can we? I don't suppose there's any details about the islands you can give me?"
>_
-
>"To be fair, I came here foremost to report the responses to your invitation. However, it seemed a pertinent question to ask while I would be here anyway. Regardless..."
>What do we know about the islands, both structurally and historically that might be potentially relevant to her request? Any ways in which we know they differ from terrestrial rock? Little things, like how they always have water for plantlife without rainfall, general movement patterns, etc.
>Relay said information
-
>"To be fair, I came here foremost to report the responses to your invitation. However, it seemed a pertinent question to ask while I would be here anyway. Regardless..."
>What do we know about the islands, both structurally and historically that might be potentially relevant to her request? Any ways in which we know they differ from terrestrial rock? Little things, like how they always have water for plantlife without rainfall, general movement patterns, etc.
>Relay said information
>"If it is as you say," says Patchouli, and lets the rest trail off.
>You tell her what you can about the islands. This includes their propensity to generate water as needed, what you can say about their movement patterns such as they are, and how larger islands have a way of attracting smaller islands to them. Patchouli listens attentively, jotting down a note here and there on a piece parchment off to the side.
>"Nothing about that suggests abnormal shadows," says Patchouli. "Though their propensity to make water is interesting. One wonders if it is connected to the miracle of Youkai Mountain? But that is an aside. My suggestion would be that you are considering this problem backward. Rather than wondering what happened to the islands to make their shadows so strange, perhaps the question is what happened to their shadows to make the islands so strange?"
>_
-
>"I had assumed the the altered shadows might simply be a side-effect of some change in the islands themselves. Are you suggesting the inverse? Could you elaborate a little?"
-
>"I had assumed the the altered shadows might simply be a side-effect of some change in the islands themselves. Are you suggesting the inverse? Could you elaborate a little?"
>"I am," says Patchouli. "If you can find nothing amiss with the islands themselves, save the obvious, then that may be where you should be looking."
>_
-
>"Do you know, in general, what sorts of magic could affect shadows like this? Or what traces they might leave that I could search for?"
-
>"Do you know, in general, what sorts of magic could affect shadows like this? Or what traces they might leave that I could search for?"
>"Unfortunately, not off the top of my head," says Patchouli, "Shadow-based magics are a little removed from what I do. But what you describe leads me to suspect it was a draining effect of some kind. Perhaps I'll research it, but I wouldn't expect too much since you left my familiar mopey and useless for the day."
>_
-
>Frown
>"I'm sorry to hear she's still feeling bad."
>"In any case, if shadow-based magic is outside your core expertise, do you know anyone who might be more familiar with them?"
-
>Frown
>"I'm sorry to hear she's still feeling bad."
>"In any case, if shadow-based magic is outside your core expertise, do you know anyone who might be more familiar with them?"
>Patchouli shrugs. "I thought it was supposed to be some sort of lesson, myself."
>"I don't think anyone does," says Patchouli, frowning. "It's certainly nothing Alice or Marisa would dabble into. I doubt the outsiders would have even had time to learn it is something that can be done. Eirin might, heavens know what she's dabbled into in her time. Byakuren is a very slim chance for the same reason, but I imagine such a thing would have been too suspicious for the likes of her."
>_
-
>"So, essentially, this is outside the expertise and even the knowledge of anyone you know of. That does, of course, raise the question of who in Gensokyo could be capable of this, if even knowledge of it is so rare as this."
>"When you said that you think they have been drained, would that imply that they are being drained INTO something else? To empower it somehow, perhaps?"
-
Metaknowledge says the only person coming to mind that would probably know about shadow-based magic is Nue. Tenshi might be able to give us a lead, but besides that, no idea how we can justify investigating her in-game.
-
>"So, essentially, this is outside the expertise and even the knowledge of anyone you know of. That does, of course, raise the question of who in Gensokyo could be capable of this, if even knowledge of it is so rare as this."
>"When you said that you think they have been drained, would that imply that they are being drained INTO something else? To empower it somehow, perhaps?"
>"Essentially," says Patchouli. "I'm certain there's something here, it's just a question of finding it. Well, that and actually wanting to find it to begin with. As to who could have done it, presuming we are on the right angle to begin with, I wouldn't know."
>"That would be logical," says Patchouli. "But it would also be inefficient."
>_
-
>"If you think that would be inefficient, can you speculate as to some other purpose for it? What else could they do with it? Let's assume for the moment that their objective was not simply to cause the islands to fall."
-
>"If you think that would be inefficient, can you speculate as to some other purpose for it? What else could they do with it? Let's assume for the moment that their objective was not simply to cause the islands to fall."
>"A trophy?" Patchouli says. "If so, they did a terrible job of it given you can still see something. Mmm...there may be a clue in that. Perhaps they weren't able to finish the job? Or they took all that they needed already. Hmm... I can't really think what else they'd want it for. Then again, I can't claim to know all the uses of a stolen shadow."
>_
-
>"No, I suppose not. I guess there's nothing more to be done but keep casting about for some shred of a clue as to who did this, or how. Or even what specifically they did, for that matter."
-
>"No, I suppose not. I guess there's nothing more to be done but keep casting about for some shred of a clue as to who did this, or how. Or even what specifically they did, for that matter."
>"With what you have given me, that seems to be the best path," says Patchouli.
>_
-
>"It has been a morning of much hostility and little information, I'm afraid, but I will keep searching until I find something. Thank you for your assistance, Patchouli. I wish you a pleasant afternoon."
>Exit the mansion
-
>"It has been a morning of much hostility and little information, I'm afraid, but I will keep searching until I find something. Thank you for your assistance, Patchouli. I wish you a pleasant afternoon."
>Exit the mansion
>"One feeds the other, yes," says Patchouli. "Good luck, then."
>You make your way out of the mansion. "What'd you do to her familiar?" asks Tenshi. "Lecture her half to death or something?"
>_
-
>Assuming we're well out of earshot: "She, uh, tried to take me to her bed with her. I politely declined."
-
>Assuming we're well out of earshot: "She, uh, tried to take me to her bed with her. I politely declined."
>Tenshi snorts, nearly breaking into a fit of cackling.
>_
-
>"Try to be a little sensitive. Despite it all, I think she took it rather personally, which it truly wasn't. I feel bad for hurting her feelings."
-
>"Try to be a little sensitive. Despite it all, I think she took it rather personally, which it truly wasn't. I feel bad for hurting her feelings."
>"Wait, how can you reject someone and it's not personal?" asks Tenshi. "Those two things are pretty much opposites and stuff."
>_
-
>"It wasn't meant to be anything against her specifically. I cannot imagine saying yes to that if it came from anyone that I'd only met 5 minutes ago. If anything, I think I feel more positively inclined towards her for the attitudes she expressed than I would to most anyone else in a parallel situation."
-
>"It wasn't meant to be anything against her specifically. I cannot imagine saying yes to that if it came from anyone that I'd only met 5 minutes ago. If anything, I think I feel more positively inclined towards her for the attitudes she expressed than I would to most anyone else in a parallel situation."
>'"I don't think it actually works like that when you're on the receiving end of it," says Tenshi.
>_
-
>"No, I think you're quite right. But what else was I to do?"
-
>"No, I think you're quite right. But what else was I to do?"
>"I know," says Tenshi. "I'm just saying out, you can't really go around talking about it wasn't personal."
>You exit the mansion.
>_
-
>"I'm just sorry I hurt her by that. She seems a rather earnest person, and I feel bad about it."
>Head out past the gate
-
>"I'm just sorry I hurt her by that. She seems a rather earnest person, and I feel bad about it."
>Head out past the gate
>"Sounds like a no win deal," says Tenshi. "Unless you went for it. And I don't think anyone would blame you for that. ...Uh, I meant for not doing that. Though I guess the other way is true too."
>You head past the gate. Meiling opens it for you, then shuts it as you pass.
>_
-
>Head towards the forest at the foot of Youkai mountain
>Along the way: "I'm going to go check in with Hina now, and see if she's learned anything. However, there is one added angle to what she's investigating that I have sworn not to disclose to anyone not directly involved. If I am to tell you what it is, I need your absolute word that you will tell no one else. Can you promise me this?"
-
>Head towards the forest at the foot of Youkai mountain
>Along the way: "I'm going to go check in with Hina now, and see if she's learned anything. However, there is one added angle to what she's investigating that I have sworn not to disclose to anyone not directly involved. If I am to tell you what it is, I need your absolute word that you will tell no one else. Can you promise me this?"
>You head toward the forest at the foot of Youkai mountain. How will you be getting there?
>Tenshi frowns. "Huh? Why? What's the big deal?"
>_
-
Tangentially related to the current discussion: if the draining theory is true, perhaps the shadows were drained into the Sword of Hisou? That might explain why they fell shortly after Tenshi took it from its resting place.
Doesn't explain who drained the shadows in the first place, though...
-
>You head toward the forest at the foot of Youkai mountain. How will you be getting there?
>Follow the road
>"I will say that someone else has been profoundly affected by something similar to what happened to Bhava-Agra, and their friends don't want word spreading yet, if at all possible. I understand their reasons, and will respect their wishes. Will you promise?"
Tangentially related to the current discussion: if the draining theory is true, perhaps the shadows were drained into the Sword of Hisou? That might explain why they fell shortly after Tenshi took it from its resting place.
Doesn't explain who drained the shadows in the first place, though...
Nitori's shadow has been missing for a couple days, though, and causing negative effects for that time, which is well before Tenshi took the sword.
-
Nitori's shadow has been missing for a couple days, though, and causing negative effects for that time, which is well before Tenshi took the sword.
I realize that. However, it's possible that the islands' shadows faded a couple days ago as well. It would be impossible to tell, though, given how high they were in the sky.
All I can think of is that the sword bound the shadows to Bhava-Agra and thus kept it afloat...somehow. When the sword was removed, they fell. That's what I think, anyway.
-
>Follow the road
>"I will say that someone else has been profoundly affected by something similar to what happened to Bhava-Agra, and their friends don't want word spreading yet, if at all possible. I understand their reasons, and will respect their wishes. Will you promise?"
>"Well, okay, I suppose," says Tenshi.
>You follow the road around the lake.
>_
-
>"Very well. Nitori's shadow is also missing. And apparently whatever caused it has had a profoundly negative effect on her. She barely responds to the world around her, doesn't eat on her own, just stares off into space. Utsuho, Yuugi, and Parsee has been looking after her since this happened a couple days ago."
-
>"Very well. Nitori's shadow is also missing. And apparently whatever caused it has had a profoundly negative effect on her. She barely responds to the world around her, doesn't eat on her own, just stares off into space. Utsuho, Yuugi, and Parsee has been looking after her since this happened a couple days ago."
>"Wow," says Tenshi. "That sounds pretty bad. Wait...why are they keeping that secret? You think they did it?"
>After a moment, she adds, "Patchouli is going to be really pissed if she ever hears about that, too."
>_
-
> "I don't know why. It does seem like the kind of thing that public knowledge could help, sin e the cause is mysterious enough that more people investigating would be better. But I'm not about to tell Utsuho and Yuugi otherwise about their concerns for a friend. Would you want to cross them?"
> "I don't think they did it, though."
-
>"I suspect they want to keep it quiet because they don't want Reimu or anyone else rampaging about and assuming they caused it. After the events of today, I cannot blame them at all for that."
>"And why do you think she'd be upset? Because I withheld potentially useful information from her? I suppose you may be right. I would have told her, if not for what I'd promised, but I didn't see how I could in clear conscience. From what she said, though, I don't know that it would have helped her narrow it down any."
-
> "I don't know why. It does seem like the kind of thing that public knowledge could help, sin e the cause is mysterious enough that more people investigating would be better. But I'm not about to tell Utsuho and Yuugi otherwise about their concerns for a friend. Would you want to cross them?"
> "I don't think they did it, though."
>"I suspect they want to keep it quiet because they don't want Reimu or anyone else rampaging about and assuming they caused it. After the events of today, I cannot blame them at all for that."
>"And why do you think she'd be upset? Because I withheld potentially useful information from her? I suppose you may be right. I would have told her, if not for what I'd promised, but I didn't see how I could in clear conscience. From what she said, though, I don't know that it would have helped her narrow it down any."
>"I guess you're right," says Tenshi. "But now that you mention it, what if it's just a cover?"
>"Yeah, exactly that, as far as Patchouli's concerned. And when has whether something is useful or not meant anything to a magician?"
>_
-
>"A cover? Then why would they be spending so much time up here taking care of her? Apparently they practically have to feed her like an infant. And why would they voluntarily disclose this to me? They're all very concerned about her."
>"As for Patchouli, a promise is a promise. If she chooses not to understand that, there's little I can do about it."
-
>"A cover? Then why would they be spending so much time up here taking care of her? Apparently they practically have to feed her like an infant. And why would they voluntarily disclose this to me? They're all very concerned about her."
>"As for Patchouli, a promise is a promise. If she chooses not to understand that, there's little I can do about it."
>"I guess so," says Tenshi. "But if it's them, I get to say I told you so.'
>_
-
>"Fine, if it pleases you."
>Continue onward to the forest
-
>"Fine, if it pleases you."
>Continue onward to the forest
>"You're starting to do it again..." says Tenshi.
>You continue onward, coming close to the forest.
>_
-
>"I am? If so, I apologize, but I don't really understand what I did."
-
>"I am? If so, I apologize, but I don't really understand what I did."
>"You're just writing me off even though I'm probably right, and you people do that all the-" she looks toward the sky. "Oh shit, Reimu."
>_
-
>Sigh
>Look up
>Where does Reimu seem to be headed? Does she seem to have noticed us?
-
>Sigh
>Look up
>Where does Reimu seem to be headed? Does she seem to have noticed us?
>You sigh and look up. There's Reimu, on the horizon and coming from the west in your general direction. You aren't sure if she's seen you, she doesn't seem to be heading in your direction, but she probably will see you if you don't get under cover.
>_
-
>What sort of cover is nearby?
>How quickly do we think we could reach it?
-
>What sort of cover is nearby?
>How quickly do we think we could reach it?
>The road and the forest is just a couple yards ahead. This would leave you with foliage on both sides of the road to hide among, and trees to be under.
>Probably a few moments. Less if you hustled.
>_
-
>"Let's pick up the pace."
>Head towards the forest road at a brisk pace, although don't look like we're openly running
>Once we're a little distance inside, glance back in Reimu's direction
-
>"Let's pick up the pace."
>Head towards the forest road at a brisk pace, although don't look like we're openly running
>Once we're a little distance inside, glance back in Reimu's direction
>"Got it," says Tenshi.
>You continue onward briskly. Tenshi starts to run, but slows to match you.
>You enter the forest. Looking toward the west, you find the tress keep you from seeing her very effectively. Likely the same applies to her. At least until she is right on top of you...
>_
-
>"Now let's hope she's not still on the warpath against us, after all this."
>Continue along the road
>Keep an ear out for sounds of motion or possible pursuit
-
>"Now let's hope she's not still on the warpath against us, after all this."
>Continue along the road
>Keep an ear out for sounds of motion or possible pursuit
>"Um...you sure we should be out in the open like this?" asks Tenshi, as she follows along.
>_
-
>Open? Aren't we under the trees at the moment?
-
>Open? Aren't we under the trees at the moment?
>Not really. You're on the road which runs between them. Looking straight up, there's quite a bit of open air. While the trees would shield you from being viewed at an angle, from above all anyone would have to do is look down.
>_
-
>"I'd like to think she won't attack us a second time, and would rather not look like we're doing anything suspicious. That being said, I would even more rather not be fired at again."
>Make our way into the trees by the side of the road, close enough that we can essentially follow it, but distant enough not to be obviously seen from it
>Continue to follow along the road from inside cover
-
>"I'd like to think she won't attack us a second time, and would rather not look like we're doing anything suspicious. That being said, I would even more rather not be fired at again."
>Make our way into the trees by the side of the road, close enough that we can essentially follow it, but distant enough not to be obviously seen from it
>Continue to follow along the road from inside cover
>"I'm pretty sure she'd do it just because of me," says Tenshi.
>You head into the trees, but try to keep close enough to the road that you can still move. The foliage slows you down a lot, but you still make some progress.
>After a few moments, you see her pass by behind you, but not very far behind you. There is a fairly good chance you would have been seen if you had just stayed on the road.
>_
-
>"That may be true, unfortunately."
>Keep moving through the woods and give Reimu some more time to get distance
>After what feels like a suitably long time, re-emerge from the wood, and continue along the road
>Do we know of anything specific in the direction she was headed?
-
>"That may be true, unfortunately."
>Keep moving through the woods and give Reimu some more time to get distance
>After what feels like a suitably long time, re-emerge from the wood, and continue along the road
>Do we know of anything specific in the direction she was headed?
>"Don't think there's any mays about it," says Tenshi.
>You keep under cover for a little longer before returning to the road. AS Reimu doesn't descend from above to strike you down, you feel moderately safe for the moment.
>She might be heading for the island that Remilia claimed. But the angle didn't seem right. Aside from that, you have no idea what might be in that direction, other than probably some faerie homes.
>_
-
>Continue on towards Hina's
-
>Observe Reimu while heading over.
-
>Observe Reimu while heading over.
>You've already lost sight of her due to the trees. You can't see through them any better than she can.
>Continue on towards Hina's
>You continue through the Forest of Magic in silence, thankfully encountering no further problems. You then make your way along toward the forests at the foot of Youkai Mountain. Along the way, you pass close to the Yakumo Household, noticing that Yukari has shifted position to keep in the sun. She doesn't seem to take any notice of you, and you do not pass by closely enough to really bother her.
>Soon you reach the autumnal forest, and follow the road through it. It doesn't take too long before the trees darken and thicken and plunges the road into shadows. Tenshi watches the forest warily, remembering last time clearly enough, but nothing seems inclined to bother you at the moment. Soon, you see the familiar form of Hina in her wide skirts up ahead.
>_
-
>Approach Hina
>"Good afternoon, Hina. Have you had a chance to look into what I asked you about, yet?"
-
A friend of mine that fangirls over every Purvis Quest wants to point out that there are other forgotten curse goddesses relevant to the situation (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,7055.msg436763.html#msg436763).
-
>Approach Hina
>"Good afternoon, Hina. Have you had a chance to look into what I asked you about, yet?"
>You approach Hina, she smiles as you do and nods in your direction.
>"I have," she says. "I spent a little time on the island above the human town, and I couldn't feel any instances of a curse, despite the ambient misfortune. As for the other...the same, really."
>_
-
A friend of mine that fangirls over every Purvis Quest wants to point out that there are other forgotten curse goddesses relevant to the situation (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,7055.msg436763.html#msg436763).
There are people that fangirl over Purvis Quests?
>"Ah. That's too bad. However, did you find out anything that would have helped, curse or not?"
-
There are people that fangirl over Purvis Quests?
>"Ah. That's too bad. However, did you find out anything that would have helped, curse or not?"
>"All I can say is that it is definitely not a curse," says Hina. "I'm sorry."
>_
-
>"Today has been a day of few answers, it seems. Thanks for looking, in any event, Hina. It is appreciated."
-
>"Today has been a day of few answers, it seems. Thanks for looking, in any event, Hina. It is appreciated."
>"I apologize," says Hina. "My knowledge of curses is quite deep, but I am afraid is isn't very broad."
>_
-
>"No need to apologize. I'm afraid even those with more broad knowledge seem similarly stymied. Patchouli didn't really know what to make of the effect on the island's shadows, either. At least without me providing her with more information that I do not have. I'm not really sure what to do next, to be honest."
-
> Remember if we have told her about Nitori yet.
-
You know, it kind of makes sense that it would be Suwako who cursed Nitori if she held a grudge over that back in Maribel Quest. Did Kanako/Suwako know if Nitori associated with Utsuho during Okuu Quest?
-
You know, it kind of makes sense that it would be Suwako who cursed Nitori if she held a grudge over that back in Maribel Quest. Did Kanako/Suwako know if Nitori associated with Utsuho during Okuu Quest?
They may have known that Utsuho worked for Nitori, but Nitori wasn't complicit in anything that Utusho did during that quest, either.
As for Suwako cursing Nitori, she did say that it might be worth reminding people of her existence, but don't you think that turning her into a hollow person who needs others to care for her is a little harsh? And moreover, kind of misses the point of reminding people of her existence, if no one is associating it with her. She also did say remind them, not her. I don't think her remark was directed at Nitori, but rather the world in general, who all tend to associate Kanako as the face of the shrine's divinity.
It also seems extremely likely that if Suwako were involved in this, Kanako would know enough to at least suspect her. Sanae said Kanako had no idea why the islands fell. That being said, it certainly wouldn't be beyond Kanako to withhold information from Sanae, either, but we'd have a hard time getting a chance to ask her in person, given what happened last time we tried.
Of course, the most singular argument against Suwako having cursed her is the fact that Hina is convinced she's not cursed. That alone seems pretty decisive.
-
>"No need to apologize. I'm afraid even those with more broad knowledge seem similarly stymied. Patchouli didn't really know what to make of the effect on the island's shadows, either. At least without me providing her with more information that I do not have. I'm not really sure what to do next, to be honest."
>Hina nods. "I suppose, it's a question of who did it."
> Remember if we have told her about Nitori yet.
>You have told Hina.
>_
-
>"Unfortunately, I can barely guess, even there. I'm not certain who would have motive, and definitely no idea who would have means."
-
>"Unfortunately, I can barely guess, even there. I'm not certain who would have motive, and definitely no idea who would have means."
HIna nods. "Nor I. This is rather out of my league entirely."
>_
-
>"I don't suppose you may have noticed anything at all unusual over the last few days, maybe? Even something that might seem fairly minor or innocuous on its own?"
-
>"I don't suppose you may have noticed anything at all unusual over the last few days, maybe? Even something that might seem fairly minor or innocuous on its own?"
>She frowns, and looks toward the ground, furrowing her brow. "Not especially. Um, I think I saw the Prismriver Sisters in the forest not far from Alice's house a few days again, I think they were hunting that Brocken Spectre thing..."
>_
-
>"I've been hearing that name around an awful lot today. I guess a lot of people are quite interested to find it."
-
>"I've been hearing that name around an awful lot today. I guess a lot of people are quite interested to find it."
>"It kind of became a popular thing to try and find it," says Hina. "Alice had to chase people away from her house a couple times over the autumn."
>_
-
>"Had it mostly been spotted in that part of the forest, or something?"
-
>"Had it mostly been spotted in that part of the forest, or something?"
>Hina shrugs. "I don't pay much attention to it, myself."
>_
-
>"No, perhaps not. In any event, thank you again, Hina. I guess I'll simply have to keep searching."
>Bid farewell
>Head towards Kappa town
-
>"No, perhaps not. In any event, thank you again, Hina. I guess I'll simply have to keep searching."
>Bid farewell
>Head towards Kappa town
>"I wish you well," says Hina, bowing toward you.
>You make your way toward kappa town. It seems less active than before; you quickly noticing the viewing picnics seem to have broken up. The kappa seem to have more or less returned to their daily affairs, while the fish market on the river banks seems to have slowed down a lot. The university still has a small and loose crowd around it, but there doesn't seem to be much going on there.
>_
-
>"Tenshi, I'm going to go see Nitori. I don't know that it will be of any help, but I'd like to see her with my own eyes. Now, given that they mightn't approve of me telling you about her condition, I think it might be best if you waited around here for me to return, rather than dropping in with me. Is that alright with you? I promise I will return straightaway afterward."
-
>"Tenshi, I'm going to go see Nitori. I don't know that it will be of any help, but I'd like to see her with my own eyes. Now, given that they mightn't approve of me telling you about her condition, I think it might be best if you waited around here for me to return, rather than dropping in with me. Is that alright with you? I promise I will return straightaway afterward."
>"Okay, that's fine," says Tenshi. "Maybe I'll go scare up some cucumbers or something."
>_
-
>Nod
>"Sounds good. I'll see you shortly."
>Head for Nitori's warehouse
-
>Head for Nitori's warehouse
And contemplate breakdancing along the way.
(Bracket notating parsed line was rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise, and then stolen by Tewi Inaba.)
-
> Contemplate breakdancing along the way.
-
>Nod
>"Sounds good. I'll see you shortly."
>Head for Nitori's warehouse
>You nod, say your goodbyes, and head toward the warehouse.
> Contemplate breakdancing along the way.
>You really aren't in the mood for spontaneous acts of dance right now.
>...Well, a little shuffle wouldn't hurt. Nor would a spin here as you shift directions.
>No, those didn't hurt at all.
>You reach the warehouse, and find the doors are closed and it is as quiet as ever.
>_
-
>Go knock on the door
-
>Go knock on the door
>You knock on the smaller door. There is no reply at first, but after a moment, it opens. A large form, clad in a white shirt, blue skirt, and making chain jingles, immediately occupies the threshold, coming close enough her horn nearly pokes your hat. She regards you with a neutral expression and says, "Kappa's busy. Go away."
>You are fairly familiar with Yuugi from your time at The Felt. It really is unusual to see her on the surface. You know her well enough to know she's in a business-like mood at the moment, and that it is unwise to anger her in such moods.
>_
-
>"I am aware of her condition. Parsee and Utsuho have taken me into their confidence regarding her. I just wanted to see her."
-
>"I am aware of her condition. Parsee and Utsuho have taken me into their confidence regarding her. I just wanted to see her."
>"What?" says Yuugi.
>She looks back and calls in, "Hey! Did you tell the oarfish?"
>"Yeah!" comes a voice from inside that you recognize as Parsee's.
>"Okay, get inside," says Yuugi, moving away, "And there zoggin' well better haven't been anyone following you."
>_
-
>"Thank you."
>Step inside
-
>"Thank you."
>Step inside
>You step inside, and Yuugi closes the door behind you. Inside, you see a a variety of odd machines, scrap metal, tools, and the like spread over a poured concrete floor. Benches and tables overflow with springs, cogs, sheets of paper, small tools, screws, and the like. A few routes have been cleared through the mess. A few windows on the side let in light, but you can see see the remains of candles here and there.
>"Don't worry about this junk," says Yuugi, as she leads you toward the back of the room, and an open door.
>Through it, you find yourself in a small sitting room with some overstuffed pillows on the floor. You also notice a few loose screws, metal rings, and the like on the floor not too far from the door, many lodged between cracks in the floorboards. Aside from that, the dust and wilted cucumber plant in a pot by a window suggest that this room doesn't get much attention. You see Parsee and Utsuho sitting on one of the larger pillows together. There is a door opposite of you, hanging halfway open, and another doorway to your right, leading to a small kitchen.
>"Find something?" Utsuho asks.
>"She's in there," says Yuugi, gesturing toward the door.
>_
-
>"I'm afraid not. I'd really been hoping Hina would be able to detect at least something we could work with. I've spoken with Patchouli about the island's shadows as well, now, and even she had little idea of specifically how it could be done, although she suggested someone might be draining them; for what purpose, she could barely speculate. I've spoken with many of the most knowledgeable people in Gensokyo now, and that is the best I've been able to some up with... I'm starting to run out of ideas."
-
>"I'm afraid not. I'd really been hoping Hina would be able to detect at least something we could work with. I've spoken with Patchouli about the island's shadows as well, now, and even she had little idea of specifically how it could be done, although she suggested someone might be draining them; for what purpose, she could barely speculate. I've spoken with many of the most knowledgeable people in Gensokyo now, and that is the best I've been able to some up with... I'm starting to run out of ideas."
>Utsuho sighs and nods.
>"You didn't tell Patchouli about this, did you?" asks Parsee. "You know she has a big mouth, right?"
>_
-
>"No, I did not. I just spoke of the islands. Whether or not this additional information would have helped her, I don't know. Perhaps not. But I wasn't about to take that liberty then."
-
>"No, I did not. I just spoke of the islands. Whether or not this additional information would have helped her, I don't know. Perhaps not. But I wasn't about to take that liberty then."
>"Okay, good," says Parsee.
>"So, what's the deal with the whole sky falling thing, anyways?" asks Yuugi. "You guys just get bored or something?"
>_
-
>"We don't know what's caused that either, although I suspect it's directly related to whatever happened to Nitori. Their shadows are wrong in apparently much the same way. And I suppose you could say the islands are also out of sorts, in as much as an island can be such."
>"The thing is, given how little connection Nitori and Bhava-Agra have, this takes away many possible motives. Unless the targets are incidental, or arbitrary, although I'd be hesitant to assume as much, just because I can't see how they're related."
-
>"We don't know what's caused that either, although I suspect it's directly related to whatever happened to Nitori. Their shadows are wrong in apparently much the same way. And I suppose you could say the islands are also out of sorts, in as much as an island can be such."
>"The thing is, given how little connection Nitori and Bhava-Agra have, this takes away many possible motives. Unless the targets are incidental, or arbitrary, although I'd be hesitant to assume as much, just because I can't see how they're related."
>The three underground dwellers nod.
>"Well, what would it mean if they were incidental or arbitrary?" asks Utsuho.
>_
-
>"Well, I suppose it could mean that it is either an unintentional side-effect of something else, or whoever or whatever it is doing this doesn't care what shadows it steals. Maybe there was some quality they both possessed that isn't obvious to us, or perhaps they were just convenient?"
>"Do you know where Nitori was before this happened? Or what she was doing when it happened? Is she capable of answering any questions at all, if you're patient with her?"
-
>"Well, I suppose it could mean that it is either an unintentional side-effect of something else, or whoever or whatever it is doing this doesn't care what shadows it steals. Maybe there was some quality they both possessed that isn't obvious to us, or perhaps they were just convenient?"
>"Do you know where Nitori was before this happened? Or what she was doing when it happened? Is she capable of answering any questions at all, if you're patient with her?"
>Utsuho nods.
>"Or maybe Nitori got in their way," says Parsee.
>"We found her like that three days ago," says Utsuho. "She was laying on a hill a maybe half a mile from town. I was here the day before, and she was completely normal when I left. Just, when we got back the next morning, she wasn't here. We waited around for while, started to get worried."
>"So we asked around a bit," says Parsee, "Nobody knew anything about her going anywhere. And the place probably wasn't broken into, though it'd be real hard to tell the way she keeps house. Around lunchtime, we started roaming around to look for her, and there she was... I'm pretty sure she had been there for hours. She had dew soaked into her clothes, still. Might've been there all night, I couldn't tell you."
>"Once in a while she'll say something," says Yuugi. "Nothing special, just things like "no," when you try to feed her and she don't like it. But she's like someone who drank herself stupid. Just watching out the window. If you talk at her, she might sort of listen, but it's hard to really keep her on anything."
>_
-
>"Is there anything at all near that hill itself?"
-
>"Is there anything at all near that hill itself?"
>"Nothing of note," says Parsee. "It's not too close to the edge of the forest. Nothing really interesting on it. I didn't see any signs of anyone being there."
>_
-
>"So I suppose it's hard to tell whether this happened to her while she was out there, for whatever reason, or if she just wandered there afterward."
>"Does she ever try to wander around on her own, now?"
-
>"So I suppose it's hard to tell whether this happened to her while she was out there, for whatever reason, or if she just wandered there afterward."
>"Does she ever try to wander around on her own, now?"
>Parsee nods. "I don't think she was dragged there, at least. It didn't seem like anyone was there. But, I just pay attention to things. I'm not actually a tracker or whatever. Especially not for topside."
>"She doesn't try to wander, " says Utsuho.
>"Only if you stand her up, she'll let you lead her around," says Yuugi. "Which is a zogging sight better than using a bedpan, I'll tell you."
>_
-
>"Well, if she doesn't try to walk anywhere on her own, it might suggest that she was near there when this happened to her in the first place. But if there's nothing there, and no sign of anyone else, I'd not sure what good that does us."
-
>"Well, if she doesn't try to walk anywhere on her own, it might suggest that she was near there when this happened to her in the first place. But if there's nothing there, and no sign of anyone else, I'd not sure what good that does us."
>"They could have been flying," says Utsuho.
>"Or a gap hag." Parsee adds, crossing her arms.
>"I am pretty sure this isn't Yukari's style, Parsee," says Utsuho, frowning.
>"She'll have any style she wants, mark my words," says Parsee.
>_
-
>"You think this is her doing? Why?"
>"I realize she's capricious, but what's happened to Nitori goes well beyond that, I'd think."
-
>"You think this is her doing? Why?"
>"I realize she's capricious, but what's happened to Nitori goes well beyond that, I'd think."
>"Who knows why Yukari does anything?" says Parsee. "But she's definitely the only person who could do it, when you look at it logically."
>"Even if that's true," says Utsuho, "Why would she bother? I'm sure they weren't at odds about anything. I don't even know if they've talked or not!"
>"When has Yukari ever had a reason for most of the things she does?" Parsee says. "Nitori was probably a witness or something."
>_
-
>"A witness to what? And how does that explain Bhava-Agra? Also, I think it may be premature to assume she's the only person capable of doing this, simply because we can't yet see who else could."
>"For what little it's worth, I talked to her shortly after Bhava-Agra fell. She claimed to be as surprised by it as we were, and could offer no good explanation. Obviously, we can't assume she's necessary being truthful, either; her reputation precedes her, after all. But there it is."
-
>"A witness to what? And how does that explain Bhava-Agra? Also, I think it may be premature to assume she's the only person capable of doing this, simply because we can't yet see who else could."
>"For what little it's worth, I talked to her shortly after Bhava-Agra fell. She claimed to be as surprised by it as we were, and could offer no good explanation. Obviously, we can't assume she's necessary being truthful, either; her reputation precedes her, after all. But there it is."
>"If we knew what she witnessed, we'd be in her situation," says Parsee. "But maybe she saw what happened to Bhava-Agra! And if not her, then who? Don't you think we'd know about someone who could do this? And acting surprised? That's proof right there! Everyone knows that Yukari doesn't get surprised."
>Yuugi frowns, and looks like she is about say something, then thinks better of it.
>_
-
>"Even Yukari's not omniscient. This incident has puzzled many of the greatest minds in Gensokyo as it is. I think it's at least possible she was caught off-guard as well."
>"But let's just say, for the sake of argument, that it was her. What does that get us? What would we able to do about it, given who she is?"
>"Given that we have nothing directly connecting her to this, other than perhaps gut instinct, I think it might be best not to assume a potential worst case until we're given no choice but to do so."
-
>"Who's assuming?" asks Parsee. "It's the only answer that works. And don't ask me what to do about it, it's not my problem. I'm just figuring it out. The thing we have connecting her is that she's the only one who could have logically done it, no one else fits."
-
...I forget if this was discussed already, but maybe Rumia's behind it. I mean, she's the owner of The Felt, so what's to say she doesn't have bigger ambitions?
That, or I'm reading way too far into things.
-
>"I think saying she's the only one who could have done it is assuming a fair bit, considering we don't even know how it was done. Sure, it seems well beyond the capabilities of most people we know, but this doesn't mean it might be beyond all of them, particularly those we're less familiar with."
>"That being said, perhaps I should go speak with her again. I'm rather short on ideas, as it is."
-
>"I think saying she's the only one who could have done it is assuming a fair bit, considering we don't even know how it was done. Sure, it seems well beyond the capabilities of most people we know, but this doesn't mean it might be beyond all of them, particularly those we're less familiar with."
>"That being said, perhaps I should go speak with her again. I'm rather short on ideas, as it is."
>"I'd be careful when speaking to her," says Parsee. "You might end up like Nitori..."
>"Even if she hasn't done it," Yuugi adds.
>_
-
>"Duly noted, but I'm willing to take that risk. Particularly given the shortage of information elsewhere. Unless anyone has any other ideas?"
-
>"Duly noted, but I'm willing to take that risk. Particularly given the shortage of information elsewhere. Unless anyone has any other ideas?"
>"I've found wandering around and looking at things that seem unrelated often helps," says Utsuho.
>_
-
> Careful with that control rod, Utsuho. You don't want to go blowing the fourth wall up now.
-
>Unrelated huh, maybe that spectre is a valid waste of time, however that works.
Yeah I've got nothing, I'm bad enough at solving puzzles and conversing in real life
-
> Careful with that control rod, Utsuho. You don't want to go blowing the fourth wall up now.
>Whachu talkin' 'bout, Bangalore? She's just relating her own experiences.
>Unrelated huh, maybe that spectre is a valid waste of time, however that works.
>That certainly seems completely unrelated. Then again, if people have been combing the forest for it...
>_
-
> Review known information about the Brocken Spectre, placing priority on recent spotted activity.
-
> Review known information about the Brocken Spectre, placing priority on recent spotted activity.
>You know it is apparently some shadowy thing that was seen in the forest recently. You know that the newspaper, almost certainly Kakashi Spirit News, is printing information on it in a regular article. From what you heard, apparently it was originally thought to be a thing the kappa made, some time ago, but apparently this was a mistake. You don't know where it's been sighted, but Hina did mention searchers being a bother to Alice.
>_
-
>Recall knowledge about the Kakashi spirit news, especially how reliable it is
-
>Recall knowledge about the Kakashi spirit news, especially how reliable it is
>You usually don't bother much with the newspapers, but you tend to assume they are at least half exaggeration. Then again, it seems they were completely right about the faeries defeating Scarlet Devil Mansion, even you saw that edition, so who knows?
>_
-
> "Hmm...that may not be a bad idea."
> "In that vein, do any of you know anything about this Brocken Spectre I've heard about recently? I understand something's been spotted in the forest, but not much more than that."
-
> "Hmm...that may not be a bad idea."
> "In that vein, do any of you know anything about this Brocken Spectre I've heard about recently? I understand something's been spotted in the forest, but not much more than that."
>"I can tell you everything we know about it," says Parsee. "We're going to find it one of these days. Then we're going to learn its secrets."
>_
-
>"So...what do you know abut this Brocken Spectre?"
-
>"So...what do you know abut this Brocken Spectre?"
>"Definitely...not a whole lot," says Parsee. "I've been on a bunch of the hunts. We know it favors the Forest of Magic these days, though it originated from the area around this mountain. It's really good at covering its tracks, I think that might be the ability it has. Sometimes, faeries say they've seen it and we look into the more likely ones. But...you know faeries."
>_
-
> "Have you been working with that new girl in the bowler hat? She tells me she's been doing a lot of investigating as well."
-
> "Have you been working with that new girl in the bowler hat? She tells me she's been doing a lot of investigating as well."
>"Renko?" asks Utsuho.
>"Yeah, that's her," says Parsee. "We're good friends. We've coordinated a lot. There's a bunch of us involved."
>_
-
> "Really? Interesting. If I may ask, how long has she been around? I'd never seen her before, and yet I find out today she's a homeowner, living with another girl that looks like Yukari."
-
> "Really? Interesting. If I may ask, how long has she been around? I'd never seen her before, and yet I find out today she's a homeowner, living with another girl that looks like Yukari."
>"Couple months," says Parsee. "They came from outside somehow.
>Utsuho nods. "You know that whole thing with the faeries taking out Scarlet Devil Mansion? That was here"
>...You thought she looked kind of familiar.
>"No idea why other one looks like Yukari," says Parsee. "Though I'm convinced they're related."
>_
-
> Nod.
> "I do remember that, yes. Almost wishing they hadn't done that, I get the feeling that may be part of the reason the vampire has enslaved several of my people to work for her as maids."
> "So they came from outside, huh? I didn't think that was possible. Maybe Maribel is related to Yukari, and that got her through somehow. Or maybe...hmm."
> We never learned much of anything about the disappearance of Gensokyo after it came back, did we?
-
> Nod.
> "I do remember that, yes. Almost wishing they hadn't done that, I get the feeling that may be part of the reason the vampire has enslaved several of my people to work for her as maids."
> "So they came from outside, huh? I didn't think that was possible. Maybe Maribel is related to Yukari, and that got her through somehow. Or maybe...hmm."
> We never learned much of anything about the disappearance of Gensokyo after it came back, did we?
>"She did that?" Yuugi asks, looking up. "Huh."
>"Yeah, it was a real surprise," says Utsuho, "But I've spent some time with them. They're good people, though they have their little things, like taking on the mansion for the hell of it."
>Not really. Though you know something about the shared dream. The Dragon said that there was nothing to worry about, despite Tenshi's disappearance, and the people of Bhava-Agra accepted that.
>_
-
> "Yeah. Initially I was going to ignore it because Remilia had just 'conquered' one of our islands, so I was going to ignore the problem and wait for Bhava-agra to return to its proper place where she couldn't reach it, but she actually dragged several celestials back to her mansion, so she's currently second on my list of faces to break after whatever this is is fixed."
> Grit teeth.
-
> "Yeah. Initially I was going to ignore it because Remilia had just 'conquered' one of our islands, so I was going to ignore the problem and wait for Bhava-agra to return to its proper place where she couldn't reach it, but she actually dragged several celestials back to her mansion, so she's currently second on my list of faces to break after whatever this is is fixed."
> Grit teeth.
>Yuugi chuckles. "Why even wait that long? Just makes her think she got away with it."
>_
-
> "Because I made one of my many apparently incorrect assumptions about Gensokyo's citizens. That and had she had several of her more notable servants with her, and I wasn't up to a three-on-one battle when I had other important things to do that required Patchouli's help."
> "But enough about her, she's not worth the mental energy and I'll get her soon enough. Those two new kids, it sounds like they're more adventurous than anything else. Attacking the mansion, hunting around for the Brocken Spectre...of course, I imagine any humans their age dumped here from the outside would be naturally curious, so I can hardly blame them."
> "That makes things really interesting, then. I very much doubt they got here on their own. Maybe Yukari dropped them here somehow, but they don't seem to want much to do with her, so I don't think they knew her when they were outside. I wonder...I wonder if the mass disappearance had something to do with their arrival."
-
> "Because I made one of my many apparently incorrect assumptions about Gensokyo's citizens. That and had she had several of her more notable servants with her, and I wasn't up to a three-on-one battle when I had other important things to do that required Patchouli's help."
> "But enough about her, she's not worth the mental energy and I'll get her soon enough. Those two new kids, it sounds like they're more adventurous than anything else. Attacking the mansion, hunting around for the Brocken Spectre...of course, I imagine any humans their age dumped here from the outside would be naturally curious, so I can hardly blame them."
> "That makes things really interesting, then. I very much doubt they got here on their own. Maybe Yukari dropped them here somehow, but they don't seem to want much to do with her, so I don't think they knew her when they were outside. I wonder...I wonder if the mass disappearance had something to do with their arrival."
>Yuugi nods. "Me, I'd make time to deal with that. Sometimes you gotta show 'em who's boss."
>"I'm not too sure what their relation with Yukari is," says Utsuho, frowning. "Just, uh, she's been making some advances, you know? As for how they got there..."
>She shrugs, her wings and cape making the gesture rather large and impressive.
>"It probably was Yukari," says Parsee. "Makes it easier for her to get to them."
>_
-
> "It's certainly plausible, what with Yukari being Yukari and that girl looking so much like her. I wonder if Yukari was responsible for the mass disappearance, then. The timelines for the new arrivals would match up with everyone reappearing again, and Yukari being involved would offer a possible explanation as to why The Dragon was so aggravatingly silent about the whole ordeal."
-
> "It's certainly plausible, what with Yukari being Yukari and that girl looking so much like her. I wonder if Yukari was responsible for the mass disappearance, then. The timelines for the new arrivals would match up with everyone reappearing again, and Yukari being involved would offer a possible explanation as to why The Dragon was so aggravatingly silent about the whole ordeal."
>Parsee nods. "Exactly."
>"Think I'll check on Nitori," Utsuho says, standing and heading toward the partially open door toward the south.
>_
-
> Nod to Utsuho.
> To Parsee: "Oh, do you know something for sure? I admit it's mostly an idle curiosity at this point, but I think maybe Utsuho's advice was right. It's not like I have many other leads right now. And certain disappearances were quite distressing."
-
> Nod to Utsuho.
> To Parsee: "Oh, do you know something for sure? I admit it's mostly an idle curiosity at this point, but I think maybe Utsuho's advice was right. It's not like I have many other leads right now. And certain disappearances were quite distressing."
>Utsuho leaves the room.
>"I wouldn't worry about it," says Parsee. "Whatever happened, it seems mostly all we noticed was a half-remembered dream. Frankly, I'd think you were making it up, but I can't really think of a reason why you would. I mean, it probably was Yukari's fault if anyone's. I can't think of anything more likely."
>_
-
> "Ah, yes, I had heard about the dream. Hmm. I think I will have a word with Yukari about it, then. Whatever the shadow problem is may be related to that incident."
> "But I am getting off-track. May I see Nitori myself?"
-
> "Ah, yes, I had heard about the dream. Hmm. I think I will have a word with Yukari about it, then. Whatever the shadow problem is may be related to that incident."
> "But I am getting off-track. May I see Nitori myself?"
>"Sure thing," says Yuugi.
>"Just behave and stuff," Parsee adds.
-
> Nod.
> "Of course."
> Head into the room where Nitori is, making sure to be quiet.
> Keep ears open for any potential conversation between Yuugi and Parsee.
-
> Nod.
> "Of course."
> Head into the room where Nitori is, making sure to be quiet.
> Keep ears open for any potential conversation between Yuugi and Parsee.
>You nod and give your assurances. "Okay," says Parsee. "Hope you find something."
>You enter the room to find Utsuho in the process of changing the bedding on a futon in the middle of the room. Nitori stands by a window, wearing a simply sleeping gown. The room itself seems to be recently cleaned, somewhat so give the pile of old laundry in the corner. Obvious exits are North.
>You can hear Parsee and Yuugi talking among themselves quietly, but can't make out anything.
>_
-
> In which direction is Nitori facing?
> Is there a particular cadence to the conversation in the other room?
-
> In which direction is Nitori facing?
> Is there a particular cadence to the conversation in the other room?
>She is looking out the southern window.
>"Here to help?" Utsuho asks, glancing up at you. "I've just about got this done."
>You cannot detect any usual cadence to that conversation, it much be a fairly normal one.
>_
-
> "I came to check on her, but if you still need help with something else, I'd be glad to do so."
-
> "I came to check on her, but if you still need help with something else, I'd be glad to do so."
>Utsuho nods. "I'm mostly done."
>_
-
> "That tells me you're not completely done. What still needs doing?"
-
> "That tells me you're not completely done. What still needs doing?"
>"Just finishing up the bedding," says Utsuho.
>_
-
>Quests
I don't wanna say anything to risk spoiling the mood but I'm curious as to what you have planned Kilga.
I'm sorta new on the whole command thing so I don't want to just burst in and mess something up.
-
>Quests
>You quests are:
>The Sky Has Fallen
>Bhava Agra has descended into Gensokyo. The Dragon has tasked you with finding out why and fixing it. You have discovered something is very awry with its shadow.
>Brocken Spectroscopy
>What is the truth behind the Brocken Spectre? Does it really exist?
>Nitori's Shadow
>Nitori seems to be missing her shadow. This has left her a shell of a person. Why?
-
> Assist with bedding as we can see is needed.
> Keep voice down.
> "So you mentioned looking into unrelated things. I'm curious as to what you think about the mass disappearance a couple of months ago. I'm wondering if it has something to do with this shadow incident."
-
> Assist with bedding as we can see is needed.
> Keep voice down.
> "So you mentioned looking into unrelated things. I'm curious as to what you think about the mass disappearance a couple of months ago. I'm wondering if it has something to do with this shadow incident."
>You help Utsuho when you can, but she doesn't seem to need it. She seems to be rather good with bedding.
>She shrugs. "No idea. It was just a dream."
>_
-
> "Mmm, true, I guess you wouldn't know much if it was just a dream. I guess the Yukari theory might be the best one."
> "Whatever it was, Tenshi got caught up in it. She appeared no worse for wear, but...it's not every day the entirety of Gensokyo vanishes for several months. I hope she was safe throughout whatever happened."
-
> "Mmm, true, I guess you wouldn't know much if it was just a dream. I guess the Yukari theory might be the best one."
> "Whatever it was, Tenshi got caught up in it. She appeared no worse for wear, but...it's not every day the entirety of Gensokyo vanishes for several months. I hope she was safe throughout whatever happened."
>She nods idly.
>"I think I remember seeing her," says Utsuho. "She was, um, kind of a criminal, I think. A thug. For what it's worth in a dream, anyways."
>_
-
> Frown.
> "C'mon, Tenshi, what are you doing, dreaming about things like that..."
> Head over to Nitori and examine her more closely.
-
> Frown.
> "C'mon, Tenshi, what are you doing, dreaming about things like that..."
> Head over to Nitori and examine her more closely.
>"I guess that's just what she liked to do," says Utsuho as she finishes off the bed.
>You approach Nitori. She is standing by the window, a sort of featureless look on her face, staring out the window. She is simply standing there. You notice she lacks a shadow, as well. It is rather disconcerting. You don't think she's noticed you.
>_
-
> Try to stare through her at the window.
-
> Try to stare through her at the window.
>Nitori remains as opaque as ever. Though after a moment, your eyes do unfocus and she blurs as you expect she would.
>_
-
> "How bizarre. What kind of magic could be doing this, I wonder?"
-
> "How bizarre. What kind of magic could be doing this, I wonder?"
>"If I had any idea, I would have told you back at the tavern," says Utsuho, "Want to put her back in bed for me?"
>_
-
> "Yeah, I can do that. Let me try something first, though."
> Wave a hand in front of Nitori's face.
> "Hey."
-
> "Yeah, I can do that. Let me try something first, though."
> Wave a hand in front of Nitori's face.
> "Hey."
>You wave your hand in front of Nitori's face. Her eyes move a bit, not quite following you hand, but close.
>"She seems to respond the most to touch," says Utsuho.
>_
-
> Gently poke Nitori's nose with an index finger.
-
> Gently poke Nitori's nose with an index finger.
>You give her a slight poke. She slowly draws back, after a moment.
>_
-
> Did her expression change?
> "Looking at things that seem unrelated...hey, Utsuho, if I may ask, what kinds of stimulus have you tried?"
-
> Did her expression change?
> "Looking at things that seem unrelated...hey, Utsuho, if I may ask, what kinds of stimulus have you tried?"
>You think you say her brow scrunch just a little.
>"Not a lot, honestly," says Utsuho. "We found you can lead her around if you take her hand, or push her from behind. She doesn't like being poked, but she hardly notices if you don't get her somewhere sensitive. She doesn't like getting splashed, but she'll ignore it after the initial shock."
-
> "Somewhere sensitive? Like where?"
-
> "Somewhere sensitive? Like where?"
>"Just about any place you particularly don't like to be poked," says Utsuho. "Like in the ribs, or the throat."
>_
-
> "Any place...more sensitive than those?"
-
> "Any place...more sensitive than those?"
>"Probably," says Utsuho, "but we sure as hell aren't going to test them."
>_
-
> "And I assume you'd rather me not test them as well?"
> Look around the room. Is there anything in it we could use to poke something?
-
> "And I assume you'd rather me not test them as well?"
> Look around the room. Is there anything in it we could use to poke something?
>"Well, ask first," says Utsuho. "And don't be mean."
>You look around, and notice there are actually a few piles and stacks of mostly-cleaned up clutter. One of them has a wrench on top.
>_
-
> "Would she actually respond?"
-
> "Would she actually respond?"
>"How would I know?" says Utsuho, "We've not tested that much. It became pretty clear it wasn't going to get much of a response anyways, and it's kind of mean to go around poking her."
>_
-
> "Granted. It's at least an idea to keep around, however. It could be the deciding factor in terms of figuring out what's going on here. Whatever has befallen her, it could be extreme ennui, or it could be extremely dulled senses. Or maybe it's something else entirely."
> "But...I think I may have another idea, one that involves less, uh, invasion of privacy."
-
Doubleposting to make sure the change in plans has been noticed.
> "Let's get her into the bed first, though. The least we can do is make her more comfortable."
> Gently pick Nitori up, accepting Utsuho's help if she offers it, and lay her properly in her bed.
-
> "Granted. It's at least an idea to keep around, however. It could be the deciding factor in terms of figuring out what's going on here. Whatever has befallen her, it could be extreme ennui, or it could be extremely dulled senses. Or maybe it's something else entirely."
> "But...I think I may have another idea, one that involves less, uh, invasion of privacy."
> "Let's get her into the bed first, though. The least we can do is make her more comfortable."
> Gently pick Nitori up, accepting Utsuho's help if she offers it, and lay her properly in her bed.
>Utsuho nods, and first. Then she frowns. "Wait, you weren't talking about poking her in the eye?"
>She lets that drop as the two of you get Nitori back into bed. Nitori walks along toward it with little prompting. Then Utsuho practically pushes her over with one hand, and keeps her from just falling over with the other. The two of you ease her into bed.
>So, what did you have in mind?" Utsuho asks.
>_
-
> "I thought about the eye, but decided against it, in the interest of not causing bodily harm. I was, uh...well, remember when you mentioned checking out unrelated events? Well, I got propositioned for intercourse several hours ago. And, well, you mentioned physical stimulus, and my mind sorta blended the two together."
-
Ergh, that might require clarification.
> Put hands up.
> "Not suggesting we necessarily poke her down there! Just, maybe, I dunno, a soft poke in the chest could be worth considering?"
-
> "I thought about the eye, but decided against it, in the interest of not causing bodily harm. I was, uh...well, remember when you mentioned checking out unrelated events? Well, I got propositioned for intercourse several hours ago. And, well, you mentioned physical stimulus, and my mind sorta blended the two together."
> Put hands up.
> "Not suggesting we necessarily poke her down there! Just, maybe, I dunno, a soft poke in the chest could be worth considering?"
>"Crazy ass topsiders," says Utsuho, frowning. "So what's your real plan, then?"
-
> "Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. Don't forget the option exists. But I thought of something else anyway, something that won't cause any physical discomfort."
> Walk over to the wrench and pick it up.
> "Not to her, anyway. No guarantees about me."
-
> "Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. Don't forget the option exists. But I thought of something else anyway, something that won't cause any physical discomfort."
> Walk over to the wrench and pick it up.
> "Not to her, anyway. No guarantees about me."
>"Right, sure," says Utsuho. "Um...what are you going to do with that wrench?"
>_
-
> "It should make a good prop."
> Point at Utsuho with the wrench.
> "I don't need it to be more than that."
> Stop pointing with the wrench.
> "By the way, I assure you that nothing I am about to do is with any ill intent. Fighting Remilia to correct an injustice is one thing. Being a jerk and pissing off both Yuugi and yourself at the same time is quite another, and I rather value my health."
-
> "It should make a good prop."
> Point at Utsuho with the wrench.
> "I don't need it to be more than that."
> Stop pointing with the wrench.
> "By the way, I assure you that nothing I am about to do is with any ill intent. Fighting Remilia to correct an injustice is one thing. Being a jerk and pissing off both Yuugi and yourself at the same time is quite another, and I rather value my health."
>"...You are being extremely vague, and I don't know if I like it." says Utsuho, frowning.
>_
-
> "I'm sorry I can't be more specific, and I do appreciate your patience, but I have my reasons. You'll understand what I mean after I begin."
> Walk into Nitori's direct line of vision and wave the wrench a little bit.
> "Hey."
-
> "I'm sorry I can't be more specific, and I do appreciate your patience, but I have my reasons. You'll understand what I mean after I begin."
> Walk into Nitori's direct line of vision and wave the wrench a little bit.
> "Hey."
>"Um, right," says Utsuho, still frowning.
>You walk between Nitori and the window. She does not avert her eyes, or do much of anything. You wonder if she sees you. She does not react as you wave the wrench and speak to her.
>_
-
> "So it seems we have a problem."
> Point the wrench at Nitori.
> "You're not casting a proper shadow. It's weird. And I have to admit, I'm pretty well stumped. I mean..."
> Cease pointing the wrench at Nitori and going back to waving with it.
> "...this doesn't seem to make sense. You're still quite opaque, I checked myself. But there you were, standing near the window, with the light shining through it. Science says you should be blocking the bit of the room behind you from the light. But you don't!"
> Tap the wrench head very lightly against our chin.
> "It's just so...unscientific. Very weird. But!"
> Point the wrench into the air.
> "I am confident that science can solve this. I'm sure there must be some sort of scientific explanation for what's going on."
-
> "So it seems we have a problem."
> Point the wrench at Nitori.
> "You're not casting a proper shadow. It's weird. And I have to admit, I'm pretty well stumped. I mean..."
> Cease pointing the wrench at Nitori and going back to waving with it.
> "...this doesn't seem to make sense. You're still quite opaque, I checked myself. But there you were, standing near the window, with the light shining through it. Science says you should be blocking the bit of the room behind you from the light. But you don't!"
> Tap the wrench head very lightly against our chin.
> "It's just so...unscientific. Very weird. But!"
> Point the wrench into the air.
> "I am confident that science can solve this. I'm sure there must be some sort of scientific explanation for what's going on."
>Nitori doesn't react to your speech.
>"Huh," says Utsuho.
>_
-
> "In fact, I'm glad I'm here. Because I just so happen to be in the presence of a great scientist."
> Point the wrench at Nitori.
> "You."
> Wave the wrench around, in a couple of slower and much larger circles, gesturing all over the room.
> "You're obviously a kappa, and I look around your workshop here, and I see all these marvelous creations."
> Stop waving around the wrench and hold it upright and still in front of us.
> "Hell, just look at the fine craftsmanship of this wrench. And it lives in your bedroom! To keep such a tool so close to the heart, you are a true disciple of science an engineering, to be sure."
> Point the wrench at Nitori again.
> "This is why I need you. We all need you. I know some science, but I'm not nearly as well-versed as you. If there's anyone here that can perform the experiments and the calculations and go through the proper scientific method to solve this problem, it's you."
-
> "In fact, I'm glad I'm here. Because I just so happen to be in the presence of a great scientist."
> Point the wrench at Nitori.
> "You."
> Wave the wrench around, in a couple of slower and much larger circles, gesturing all over the room.
> "You're obviously a kappa, and I look around your workshop here, and I see all these marvelous creations."
> Stop waving around the wrench and hold it upright and still in front of us.
> "Hell, just look at the fine craftsmanship of this wrench. And it lives in your bedroom! To keep such a tool so close to the heart, you are a true disciple of science an engineering, to be sure."
> Point the wrench at Nitori again.
> "This is why I need you. We all need you. I know some science, but I'm not nearly as well-versed as you. If there's anyone here that can perform the experiments and the calculations and go through the proper scientific method to solve this problem, it's you."
>She blinks in the middle of your speech, but otherwise there is no reaction.
>_
-
> Inch closer to the bed. If there's room for us to sit on it without moving any part of Nitori out of the way, do so.
> Point the wrench at Nitori again. Be careful not to hit her with it if we're close.
> "Come on, I know how much you love practicing science. It shows in every corner of this place. What do you say? A lot of people need you and your scientific knowledge."
-
> Inch closer to the bed. If there's room for us to sit on it without moving any part of Nitori out of the way, do so.
> Point the wrench at Nitori again. Be careful not to hit her with it if we're close.
> "Come on, I know how much you love practicing science. It shows in every corner of this place. What do you say? A lot of people need you and your scientific knowledge."
>You inch closer and set on the edge of the futon. It's not tremendously comfortable; being made for one and all.
>You continue to speak to her. You think, maybe, she groans a little. You didn't quite hear. Maybe you imagined it?
>_
-
> Quick glance at Utsuho.
> "Come on, we really need your help. The scientific community needs your leadership. Gensokyo needs your inspiration. We need you to devise experiments, run tests, take us through the proper scientific method to solve this problem. I know you can overcome this problem with the power of science, because I know there's no one in Gensokyo greater at science than you."
-
> Quick glance at Utsuho.
> "Come on, we really need your help. The scientific community needs your leadership. Gensokyo needs your inspiration. We need you to devise experiments, run tests, take us through the proper scientific method to solve this problem. I know you can overcome this problem with the power of science, because I know there's no one in Gensokyo greater at science than you."
>You glance at Utsuho. She nods once.
>You continue to exhort. Nitori most definitely says...something. You see her lips move a little, but you cannot hear what she says, if anything.
>_
-
> Is Nitori's expression changing at all?
> "I'm sorry, but I can't hear you. A great scientist you may be, but your knowledge will be wasted on the likes of me if you can't communicate it. I haven't done the necessary research into sound like I'm sure you have."
-
> Is Nitori's expression changing at all?
> "I'm sorry, but I can't hear you. A great scientist you may be, but your knowledge will be wasted on the likes of me if you can't communicate it. I haven't done the necessary research into sound like I'm sure you have."
>It is not really changing. Perhaps her gaze is a bit more distant, less focused.
>She doesn't seem to be continuing. You think she said two or three words before.
>_
-
> Lightly wave the wrench a little more.
> "Ah! Could it be that you don't know the solution to the problem either? That would be a major issue indeed. You're Gensokyo's greatest scientist! We're basically up a creek without a paddle without you."
-
> Lightly wave the wrench a little more.
> "Ah! Could it be that you don't know the solution to the problem either? That would be a major issue indeed. You're Gensokyo's greatest scientist! We're basically up a creek without a paddle without you."
>She seems to fall back into her prior kind of staring around you.
>_
-
> Were we able to read her lips at all when she seemed to be saying something?
-
> Were we able to read her lips at all when she seemed to be saying something?
>You could not.
>_
-
If there are any physics majors in the house that were good with optics in particular, now would be a great time to help, because a whole load of this is going to be asspull otherwise. >_>
> "Hmm...let's think this through. Light is subject to the concept of wave-particle duality, right? Well, what if the wave half of that is being affected here somehow? Perhaps something is happening to you where the wave part of light is simply being bent around you at a consistent rate. Maybe it's something in your body that's doing this. Have you run any experiments on yourself recently, to see what this might be? I bet this is as good a place to start your scientific research as any."
-
> "Hmm...let's think this through. Light is subject to the concept of wave-particle duality, right? Well, what if the wave half of that is being affected here somehow? Perhaps something is happening to you where the wave part of light is simply being bent around you at a consistent rate. Maybe it's something in your body that's doing this. Have you run any experiments on yourself recently, to see what this might be? I bet this is as good a place to start your scientific research as any."
>She seems to refocus on you a little, in her dim not really looking at you sort of way.
>After a moment, her lips move slightly. Utsuho leans in closely, practically putting her ear in the kappa's face. Then she frowns and pulls away.
>"It's a little hard to tell," says Utsuho, "Since there's almost no force behind it and she's kinda drawing out the sounds, but I think she said 'Heretic.'"
>_
-
> "'Heretic'? Oh my, is that what they called you? I am so sorry, Nitori. I know science has been your life's work, and I know there are those out there that doubt what you do and try to put you down whenever they can. Don't let them get to you. I am sure the validity of all your scientific studies will put them all to shame one day. I believe in you! You'll show them that they are the heretics, not you!"
-
> "'Heretic'? Oh my, is that what they called you? I am so sorry, Nitori. I know science has been your life's work, and I know there are those out there that doubt what you do and try to put you down whenever they can. Don't let them get to you. I am sure the validity of all your scientific studies will put them all to shame one day. I believe in you! You'll show them that they are the heretics, not you!"
>Nitori gives a small groan, and seems to lose focus again.
>_
-
>"Come on, Nitori! Don't let the attitudes of everybody else hold you back! The universe works on rules, and the gods they worship can't change that!"
I wonder if I failed to carry on what Kilga was doing, but ah well.
-
>"Come on, Nitori! Don't let the attitudes of everybody else hold you back! The universe works on rules, and the gods they worship can't change that!"
>You continue to exhort ideals you know to be considered rather dodgy at best in Gensokyo. Nitori doesn't respond.
>"I think you lost her interest, so to speak," Utsuho says. "I doubt she'll respond to something like that again for awhile."
>_
-
> Get up off the futon.
> "Yeah, seems so. The next step would probably be harlotry, and you'll have to pardon me for balking at the prospect."
> "Is this the first time she has said anything since you found her?"
-
> Get up off the futon.
> "Yeah, seems so. The next step would probably be harlotry, and you'll have to pardon me for balking at the prospect."
> "Is this the first time she has said anything since you found her?"
>You stand up.
>"Well, you're also the one proposing the prospect to begin with," says Utsuho. "But anyways. No, not really. If you work with her enough, she'll kinda talk at you like that. The thing is getting and holding her attention. I don't know if she's just being flighty or if it's just a monumental task to concentrate on things around her or what."
>_
-
> "That makes me lean toward extremely dulled senses over simple ennui."
> Aside from looking out of it and having a distorted shadow, does Nitori look abnormal in any way?
-
> "That makes me lean toward extremely dulled senses over simple ennui."
> Aside from looking out of it and having a distorted shadow, does Nitori look abnormal in any way?
>"Or maybe she just has no energy at all?" says Utsuho. "I'm not sure."
>She doesn't seem especially odd. You didn't think anything was wrong with her at a glance. Just, she seems so oblivious to the world around her.
>_
-
> Wasn't Nitori standing at the window earlier? Or was she sitting?
-
> Wasn't Nitori standing at the window earlier? Or was she sitting?
>She was standing.
>_
-
> "That's entirely possible, and would actually offer a decent explanation for why the islands fell as well. I wonder how she would be able to stand on her own, though."
-
> "That's entirely possible, and would actually offer a decent explanation for why the islands fell as well. I wonder how she would be able to stand on her own, though."
>Utsuho frowns. "I dunno. Maybe it's just she has no willpower? Or I guess I could be on the wrong track. Sorry, I'm not much for magic things like this."
>_
-
> "No, you're having some good ideas. It's going to be hard to produce a slam dunk idea with so little information, so keeping the ideas flowing that at least seem good is a good idea in and of itself."
> "Anyway, shall we give her some privacy, or...?"
-
> "No, you're having some good ideas. It's going to be hard to produce a slam dunk idea with so little information, so keeping the ideas flowing that at least seem good is a good idea in and of itself."
> "Anyway, shall we give her some privacy, or...?"
>"If you've got nothing else to do, I'm ready to go," says Utsuho.
>_
-
> Put Nitori's wrench back where it was.
> Leave the room and head back out to where Parsee and Yuugi were.
-
> Put Nitori's wrench back where it was.
> Leave the room and head back out to where Parsee and Yuugi were.
>You return the wrench, and return to the front room.
>"Get a peep out of her?" asks Yuugi.
>_
-
> "Yes, but barely, and apparently it was no more than you folks have been able to accomplish yourself."
> To Utsuho: "By the way, when she returns to normal, if you're around and I'm not, please apologize to her on my behalf."
-
> "Yes, but barely, and apparently it was no more than you folks have been able to accomplish yourself."
> To Utsuho: "By the way, when she returns to normal, if you're around and I'm not, please apologize to her on my behalf."
>"Yeah, it's not easy to get her to say much," says Yuugi.
>Utsuho nods. "Alright. I will."
>_
-
> "So what I gather from this is that it's not that she doesn't want to be responsive, it's that she can't. The ideal response to all my harassment would have been for her to jump up and throttle me, given how touchy I'm sure the subject was. That didn't happen, but she was aware enough to understand what I was saying to her and respond accordingly, which shows she still cares on some level."
> "Utsuho mentioned the possibility that she's simply been drained of energy. I admit I wonder how likely that is given she was capable of standing on her own power, but now that I think about it, Bhava-Agra didn't come all the way down, crashing into the ground. It fell a good distance and then stopped, aside from the island that bounced off the mountain. The islands still float somehow, just not nearly as high as they're supposed to. That would be consistent with Nitori's ability to stand without assistance."
> To Utsuho: "This also means I no longer think it worthwhile to pursue that...other idea."
-
> "So what I gather from this is that it's not that she doesn't want to be responsive, it's that she can't. The ideal response to all my harassment would have been for her to jump up and throttle me, given how touchy I'm sure the subject was. That didn't happen, but she was aware enough to understand what I was saying to her and respond accordingly, which shows she still cares on some level."
> "Utsuho mentioned the possibility that she's simply been drained of energy. I admit I wonder how likely that is given she was capable of standing on her own power, but now that I think about it, Bhava-Agra didn't come all the way down, crashing into the ground. It fell a good distance and then stopped, aside from the island that bounced off the mountain. The islands still float somehow, just not nearly as high as they're supposed to. That would be consistent with Nitori's ability to stand without assistance."
> To Utsuho: "This also means I no longer think it worthwhile to pursue that...other idea."
>The gathered underground dwellers nod along. "Yeah, you can get her to do really simple stuff," says Parsee. "Just, you have to walk her through most steps of it. And she's still kinda aware of where she is in some way,"
>"Means we don't gotta use a bedpan, for one thing," Yuugi says. "Because I'll help out with this, but ain't no way you're getting me into that..."
>"...What other idea?" Parsee asks as you finish.
>"We're not going to worry about it, Parsee," says Utsuho. "Just don't worry about it."
>_
-
> "Yeah, it's nothing important."
> "I think at this point my best bet may just be to wander around Gensokyo, looking for anything or anyone else exhibiting these abnormalities. And talk to Yukari about whatever that was a couple of months ago. The more instances of this we can find, the better a pattern we can follow."
-
> "Yeah, it's nothing important."
> "I think at this point my best bet may just be to wander around Gensokyo, looking for anything or anyone else exhibiting these abnormalities. And talk to Yukari about whatever that was a couple of months ago. The more instances of this we can find, the better a pattern we can follow."
>"We've been meaning to go look around," says Utsuho. "Just, hands were a little full. And then the whole sky falling thing..."
>_
-
> "Right, I understand. On both accounts. In fact, is there anything in particular you'd like me to look into while I'm out?"
-
> "Right, I understand. On both accounts. In fact, is there anything in particular you'd like me to look into while I'm out?"
>"If you go underground, and want to roll a few mooks," says Yuugi, "I can give you a list and something for your time. Only I've been falling behind..."
>"Actually," says Utsuho, "We were kinda expecting Yamame over for lunch. She's a bit late, so I'm worried she ran into some kind of problem."
>_
-
> "I think I could do a few shakedowns. I expect it will make Tenshi happy, at least, and who knows, maybe I'll find some good stress relief in it as well."
> "As for Yamame, I remember seeing her with the new kids this morning, when I first met them. I suspect they'd have the best chance of knowing where she is. I'd be glad to keep an eye out and try to find out what happened."
-
> "I think I could do a few shakedowns. I expect it will make Tenshi happy, at least, and who knows, maybe I'll find some good stress relief in it as well."
> "As for Yamame, I remember seeing her with the new kids this morning, when I first met them. I suspect they'd have the best chance of knowing where she is. I'd be glad to keep an eye out and try to find out what happened."
>You offer to deal with a few problems. "Really?" says Yuugi. "Didn't expect you'd go for that. Gimme a minute to get a list and stuff."
>You tell Utsuho about your earlier sighting of Yamame. "That's not surprising," says Parsee. "But she was supposed to come here once she was done with all that."
>_
-
> "Interesting. I wonder if she got hit with the same thing Nitori did between now and then? Or maybe she became preoccupied with something else. I saw Renko alone fairly recently, and she seemed in a hurry to do something private. Yamame might have become involved in whatever that is."
-
> "Interesting. I wonder if she got hit with the same thing Nitori did between now and then? Or maybe she became preoccupied with something else. I saw Renko alone fairly recently, and she seemed in a hurry to do something private. Yamame might have become involved in whatever that is."
>"It's possible," says Utsuho. "Just you'd think she would tell us. But I guess she can be scatterbrained at times."
>"Hey, if you get a newspaper," says Parsee, "Let me have it when you're done."
>_
-
> "Can do."
-
> "Can do."
>"Anything else you need?" asks Utsuho, as Yuugi locates a scrap of paper and gets to work.
>_
-
Anything else we need?
-
We asked them about the spectre so I guess we're done?
-
Also just so all the other players know AUSA is going to keep me occupied until late Sunday night (i.e. Monday-morning-Sunday-night). I have no particular unpublicized plans at this point, so don't be afraid of ruining anything. As stated in dialogue, I suspect Tenshi will be willing to help out the shakedown process.
I also wonder mildly about that cold Reisen has - if we happen to see Eirin again, ask her a bit more about it.
-
Welp here goes then
>"Actually do you know if Nitori reacts to pain? Not suggesting that you try it out of course but has there been any accidents?"
-
>"Actually do you know if Nitori reacts to pain? Not suggesting that you try it out of course but has there been any accidents?"
>"Not much," says Yuugi. "Kinda slugged her in the gut a little bit. Knocked the breath out of her, kinda jarred her into focus for a moment. but didn't last. Think Parsee said you could talk to her and get her that aware if you worked at it."
>Parsee nods.
>_
-
>"Yes I did seem to get some reaction out of her by trying for a bit"
>"Well I'm going to head out now, I hope we can solve this as soon as possible"
>Take Yuugi's note if we didn't already
>Where did we leave Tenshi?
-
>"Yes I did seem to get some reaction out of her by trying for a bit"
>"Well I'm going to head out now, I hope we can solve this as soon as possible"
>Take Yuugi's note if we didn't already
>Where did we leave Tenshi?
>"Yeah, I'm kinda getting tired of not being able to keep a proper eye on the bridge," says Parsee as you tell her you're going to head out.
>You take the list from Yuugi as she finishes it.
>You obtain: Yuugi's Hitlist
>You aren't exactly sure where Tenshi would be; she mentioned that she might try to scare up some cucumbers before the two of you parted.
>_
-
>Excuse ourselves and leave
>Have a look at the list
>head for wherever you might be able to shake down some cucumbers
-
>Excuse ourselves and leave
>Have a look at the list
>head for wherever you might be able to shake down some cucumbers
>You excuse yourself and find your way out of the warehouse, taking care not to trip over anything.
>You check the list. It reads:
>"Makoto the Street Ear: Getting into things she don't need to get into. Bust her up where people can see. Naria: East Street Queen; been getting ideas; bust her up wherever. Chii the Brewer: Looks funny. Bust her up where people can see, make sure the know it's from me."
>Looking around, you can see most of the houses have a cucumber patch, but they seem to have already been picked. You call there was a market along the river banks as well.
>_
-
>Move towards the market
-
> Keep an eye out for Tenshi and any other notable figures.
-
>Move towards the market
>You head toward the riverside. There are a few kappa milling about here, and a couple stands, all against the river, open. They seem to deal primarily in fish and underwater plants. Things are moderately quiet.
> Keep an eye out for Tenshi and any other notable figures.
>Looking around, you see no sign of Tenshi, but you do notice the nekomata you saw this morning in the island melee over human town. She is at one of the fish stands.
>_
-
> Does she look familiar otherwise?
-
> Does she look familiar otherwise?
>You don't really know her. You think you've seen her around human town once or twice.
>_
-
> Move over to her.
-
> Move over to her.
>You approach the Nekomata.
>Her ears flick, and she looks over and notices you. "Um, hello..."
>_
-
>"Hello. Who may you be?"
-
>"Hello. Who may you be?"
>"I'm Chen," says the Nekomata, frowning and flattening her ears a little. "Did I do something wrong, because I did what what you said and they said I could have those peaches..."
>_
-
> "No, not at all. At least, not that I'm aware of. I came over to say hello because I recognized you from earlier."
-
> "No, not at all. At least, not that I'm aware of. I came over to say hello because I recognized you from earlier."
>"Oh, okay," says Chen, her ears perking back up. "Miss Yukari really liked the peaches, by the way. Thank you for them!"
>_
-
>"You're welcome."
>Think about what information you can get out of Chen.
-
> "Wait, Yukari?"
-
>"You're welcome."
>Think about what information you can get out of Chen.
> "Wait, Yukari?"
>She smiles in reply.
>"Yep! She's my master's master."
>Well, she seems to be connected to Yukari, so there are things you could ask there. Aside from that, you probably need to do more digging to know what she could tell you about.
>_
-
>"Oh, did you bring her back some, then?"
-
>"Oh, did you bring her back some, then?"
>She nods vigorously. "Yep! I brought back enough for all of us! Ran-sama is going to cook it with some fish tonight!"
>_
-
>"That's nice. I'm glad they'll be enjoyed, at any rate. Is Yukari still sky-watching? She had hardly seemed to have moved from this morning, last I passed near her way."
-
>"That's nice. I'm glad they'll be enjoyed, at any rate. Is Yukari still sky-watching? She had hardly seemed to have moved from this morning, last I passed near her way."
>Chen nods. "Miss Yukari does that sometimes before she goes to sleep. She wants to soak up the sun. Which is really weird because she says she likes it better at night. But Miss Yukari does weird things no one else understands because she's so smart sometimes, so it's okay." She nods.
>_
-
>"Yes, she does have something of a reputation for being inscrutable."
>"I don't suppose she's been up to any other weird stuff lately?"
>What do we know of Ran?
-
>"Yes, she does have something of a reputation for being inscrutable."
>"I don't suppose she's been up to any other weird stuff lately?"
>What do we know of Ran?
>Chen nods. "Well, she wants to kiss that human girl looks like her who moved in down the road," she says with a small frown. "That's pretty weird."
>Your meetings with Ran are mostly limited to passing her by on her errands at town, and the time Yukari summoned her on you during that encounter. You know her to be well regarded in the village, which is an uncommon thing for a youkai and speaks well of her.
>_
-
>Raise an eyebrow
>"Really now?"
-
>Raise an eyebrow
>"Really now?"
>You raise an eyebrow.
>Chen nods. "Uh-huh."
>_
-
>"Hmmm... well, I suppose it's a fairly harmless kind of weird, just the same."
>"For that matter, the fact they like so much alike is already pretty weird."
>"This may sound like something of a weird question itself, but I don't suppose you've noticed any shadows that didn't seem quite right, lately?"
-
>"Hmmm... well, I suppose it's a fairly harmless kind of weird, just the same."
>"For that matter, the fact they like so much alike is already pretty weird."
>"This may sound like something of a weird question itself, but I don't suppose you've noticed any shadows that didn't seem quite right, lately?"
>"I don't know why they do," says Chen, "But I almost got fooled once. And that's just how Miss Yukari is. Ran-sama told me not to worry about it too much, as long as everyone is happy."
>You ask her about odd shadows. "Ummm. I don't know," says Chen. "What do you mean by not quite right?"
>_
-
>"Fainter, mostly. Much fainter than it ought to be."
>If there's an island whose shadow is visible from here, gesture towards it
>"Kind of like that."
-
>"Fainter, mostly. Much fainter than it ought to be."
>If there's an island whose shadow is visible from here, gesture towards it
>"Kind of like that."
>Unfortunately, there are no easily available island shadows.
>"Oh, I don't think I've seen anything like that," says Chen. "I thought you were talking about the Brocken Spectre or something."
>_
-
>"What do you know about that, anyway? I've heard a lot of people talking about it lately."
-
>"What do you know about that, anyway? I've heard a lot of people talking about it lately."
>"Everybody who lives around and in the forest knows about it!" says Chen. "Me and Rumia and Dai and Cirno are gonna get it someday! Then we're gonna sell it to Scarlet Devil Mansion and use the money to get a mountain of candy!"
>_
-
>"You're planning to sell it? But you don't even really know what it is, do you?"
-
>"You're planning to sell it? But you don't even really know what it is, do you?"
>"Yep!" says Chen. "The people at the mansion like rare stuff. And, um...not really. But it's rare, so they'll like it."
>She gives a firm nod.
>_
-
I love these kids to death.
-
>Well, there is a certain kind of logic to that...
>"I'm curious; has Yukari ever commented on the Brocken Spectre?"
-
>Well, there is a certain kind of logic to that...
>"I'm curious; has Yukari ever commented on the Brocken Spectre?"
>It's a kind of logic, alright.
>"She wished me luck when I told her and Ran-sama about the plan at dinner," says Chen. "But not really. I think she's letting me take care of it!"
>_
-
>Smile
>"Then I wish you good hunting. I think you may have a fair bit of competition."
>"That being said, I should probably get going. I'm supposed to meet up with Tenshi somewhere around here. I don't suppose you've seen her since you got here?"
-
>Smile
>"Then I wish you good hunting. I think you may have a fair bit of competition."
>"That being said, I should probably get going. I'm supposed to meet up with Tenshi somewhere around here. I don't suppose you've seen her since you got here?"
>You smile and wish her well. "Thank you," Chen says, "We'll get it yet!"
>"Oh, I saw her!" Chen points toward the western part of the village. "She was looking through a garden, I think."
>_
-
>"Thank you, Chen. Have a nice day now."
>Head in the direction Chen indicated
-
>"Thank you, Chen. Have a nice day now."
>Head in the direction Chen indicated
>"Okay, you too!" says Chen. She waves as you depart.
>You heard toward the western part of the village, drawing close to the edge of the forest. There are a few houses here, mainly along the riverfront. Cattails and other river plants are thick off the meandering road here, you note that some patches seem to be arranged in loose rows, making some ersatz fences. Here and there, you also see the odd cucumber patch. It doesn't take long to see Tenshi among the leafy plants, frowning at them as she picks her way through.
>_
-
>Walk over to Tenshi
>"Sizing up the produce?"
-
>Walk over to Tenshi
>"Sizing up the produce?"
>You approach Tenshi.
>"Not much left," says Tenshi. "Most of them have been picked clean."
>_
-
>"Oh? That's unfortunate."
>Survey the patch
>Do the Kappa typically sell off the vine, or would there still be other places here to get them after this point?
-
>"Oh? That's unfortunate."
>Survey the patch
>Do the Kappa typically sell off the vine, or would there still be other places here to get them after this point?
>You look over the patch. The leaves do a good job of concealing anything under them; you aren't sure what is there to be found.
>You aren't sure how they deal in cucumbers. Judging from the fact that most of the houses have a patch, you suspect that that many kappa grow their own.
>_
-
>Assuming there appears to no one around: "There was very little gained through my efforts to speak with her, I'm afraid. Not that I'd really expected there would be, but I wanted to see her with my own eyes. She truly seems to be almost absent from her own body. I did manage to provoke her into just barely uttering a single word in response, but then she went silent again, staring out at the window."
-
>Assuming there appears to no one around: "There was very little gained through my efforts to speak with her, I'm afraid. Not that I'd really expected there would be, but I wanted to see her with my own eyes. She truly seems to be almost absent from her own body. I did manage to provoke her into just barely uttering a single word in response, but then she went silent again, staring out at the window."
>There doesn't seem to be anyone around.
>"Huh," says Tenshi. "Did you try holding her nose shut?"
>_
-
>"I... can't say that occurred to me. What do you think that would accomplish?"
-
>"I... can't say that occurred to me. What do you think that would accomplish?"
>"Well, um..." says Tenshi. She frowns. "I guess she'd either wake up, or choke."
>_
-
>"Couldn't she just breathe using her mouth?"
-
>"Couldn't she just breathe using her mouth?"
>"Well you cover that too, obviously," says Tenshi.
>_
-
>"I, uh, suppose I'm not really sure what would happen if one tried that. Although, apparently she is sometimes capable of saying 'no', if she doesn't want to eat something. Maybe she would offer some feeble resistance. I rather doubt it would break her out of whatever is wrong with her, though. Particularly if some part of her has been taken. Pretending to do harm to her can't return that. She may be interacting with the world as much as she is currently capable of."
>"Sadly, we don't really know when or where exactly this happened to her. She was fine one evening, when Parsee parted ways with her. Then, the next afternoon they eventually found her lying on a hill, some distance from town. Her clothes were soaked with dew; it seemed she'd been there for some time. Whether this happened to her while she was there, or whether she wandered there afterwards, it seems hard to say."
-
>"I, uh, suppose I'm not really sure what would happen if one tried that. Although, apparently she is sometimes capable of saying 'no', if she doesn't want to eat something. Maybe she would offer some feeble resistance. I rather doubt it would break her out of whatever is wrong with her, though. Particularly if some part of her has been taken. Pretending to do harm to her can't return that. She may be interacting with the world as much as she is currently capable of."
>"Sadly, we don't really know when or where exactly this happened to her. She was fine one evening, when Parsee parted ways with her. Then, the next afternoon they eventually found her lying on a hill, some distance from town. Her clothes were soaked with dew; it seemed she'd been there for some time. Whether this happened to her while she was there, or whether she wandered there afterwards, it seems hard to say."
>"What hill?" asks Tenshi. "Oh, was she doing anything weird before?"
>_
-
>"Nothing weird that any of them seemed to know about, at any rate. And unfortunately, Nitori's in no state to answer questions. As for the hill, apparently it's nondescript. About half a mile from the village, I think, and not near anything of note. Parsee said she couldn't find signs of a struggle, or anything else of interest. They searched the area a little, themselves."
-
>"Nothing weird that any of them seemed to know about, at any rate. And unfortunately, Nitori's in no state to answer questions. As for the hill, apparently it's nondescript. About half a mile from the village, I think, and not near anything of note. Parsee said she couldn't find signs of a struggle, or anything else of interest. They searched the area a little, themselves."
>"Oh, I see," says Tenshi. "I guess that's it, then."
>_
-
>"You guess what's what, then?"
-
>"You guess what's what, then?"
>"What?" says Tenshi, frowning at you. "Can you think of anything else to do with her, because I can't."
>_
-
>"No, not at the moment, I'm afraid. I'm considering going back to Yukari and asking her about this. Parsee apparently thinks she's the one responsible, although this really doesn't seem her style to me, and Utsuho seems to agree. I just wish we had more to go on."
-
>"No, not at the moment, I'm afraid. I'm considering going back to Yukari and asking her about this. Parsee apparently thinks she's the one responsible, although this really doesn't seem her style to me, and Utsuho seems to agree. I just wish we had more to go on."
>"Wait, if it's Yukari, what do you expect her to say?" asks Tenshi. "You think she's just going to throw up her says, say 'You got me', and give it all up? If it's her, all that's going to happen is she'll either lie or she'll disappear you."
>_
-
>"I didn't mean I would ask her if she were responsible for this. As you say, that would likely be futile at best, or dangerous at worst. But, as I said, I do not believe she is not responsible. I'm simply hoping she may have a better idea of what could do this to Nitori than anyone else so far has, at least in general terms."
-
>"I didn't mean I would ask her if she were responsible for this. As you say, that would likely be futile at best, or dangerous at worst. But, as I said, I do not believe she is not responsible. I'm simply hoping she may have a better idea of what could do this to Nitori than anyone else so far has, at least in general terms."
>"Oh," says Tenshi. "Well, I guess that makes sense. Unless it was her, then you're in deep trouble."
>_
-
>"Possibly. I'm willing to take that risk, though, especially given all that's at stake. And if it ultimately is her, then I would probably end up confronting her sooner or later, regardless. Be she Yukari or no."
-
>"Possibly. I'm willing to take that risk, though, especially given all that's at stake. And if it ultimately is her, then I would probably end up confronting her sooner or later, regardless. Be she Yukari or no."
>"I guess," says Tenshi, "Just don't expect me to bail you out again."
>_
-
>Bail us out again? Do we know what she might be referring to?
>"Then if she did react with hostility, what would you intend to do?"
-
>Bail us out again? Do we know what she might be referring to?
>"Then if she did react with hostility, what would you intend to do?"
>Nothing is immediately obvious...
>"Get the hell out of there, obviously," says Tenshi.
>_
-
>"Well I, for one, do not intend to back down if she is responsible. Except perhaps to get reinforcements. You've made you position on what's happened to the islands clear, but surely you have at least some concern for Nitori's condition? Things cannot remain as they are."
-
>"Well I, for one, do not intend to back down if she is responsible. Except perhaps to get reinforcements. You've made you position on what's happened to the islands clear, but surely you have at least some concern for Nitori's condition? Things cannot remain as they are."
>"I didn't say I wouldn't come back, geez," says Tenshi, scowling. "Just we'd have to get her while she's asleep or something."
>_
-
>"Well, she does spend a great deal of time sleeping, so I hear... In any case, I hope most of this discussion turns out to be strictly theoretical. I guess we'll find out soon enough."
>"Was there anything else you wanted to do here before we left?"
-
>"Well, she does spend a great deal of time sleeping, so I hear... In any case, I hope most of this discussion turns out to be strictly theoretical. I guess we'll find out soon enough."
>"Was there anything else you wanted to do here before we left?"
>Tenshi shrugs in response.
>_
-
>"Well, then I guess that's what we do next."
>Head to Yukari's, via the road
-
>"Well, then I guess that's what we do next."
>Head to Yukari's, via the road
>You leave the kappa village, and start down toward the Yakumo residence.
>As you make your way through the forest, a bit of light catches your eye. Glancing back, you see a familiar-looking column of light flying from the peak of Youkai Mountain at an angle toward the sky.
>_
-
> Oh hell.
> Mental check: where have we seen it before?
-
> Oh hell.
> Mental check: where have we seen it before?
>This is no good, indeed.
>You recall seeing it earlier today, from the celestial town floating over the Bamboo Forest. You're not as close to this one as you were to that one, but it's still easily recognizable.
>_
-
> Where is the Moriya Shrine in relation to where the beam is originating?
If Marisa is attacking the Shrine, I think we'll need to put her down first.
-
> Where is the Moriya Shrine in relation to where the beam is originating?
>You are pretty sure that would be the point of origin.
>_
-
If Marisa is attacking the Shrine, I think we'll need to put her down first.
Of course, keep in mind that the last time we tried to go there, Kanako was quite furious at our presence, fearing that we would lead the resident incident solvers to think they were in on some sort of conspiracy. This may be just what happened, or Marisa may have gotten it into her head on her own. The question is, would us returning at this point exacerbate a bad situation where we were already looked unfavorably upon, or might Kanako appreciate our attempting help? Assuming that is even what is going on there at the moment.
It's also worth mentioning that apparently the Tengu patrols were on something of alert for us, after the incident last time. I think it's reasonable to expect we may get interference on our way there. In fact, we may not even be able to get there until Marisa has left, or the battle is over entirely. And if Marisa is gone AND we get blame assigned to us for causing the situation, well...
-
Given what was going on the last time Marisa was firing off lasers, I'm leaning toward Kanako being appreciative for the help, unless people get it in their heads that Marisa is working with us for some reason. I'm also kinda-sorta hoping that having Eirin as a witness to our non-maliciousness and Marisa's psychopathy will stall for enough time and let us get through to put her down, even with the tengu patrols wary of us.
Or I may just be rationalizing because I want to grind Marisa's face into the dirt. >_>
-
Given what was going on the last time Marisa was firing off lasers, I'm leaning toward Kanako being appreciative for the help, unless people get it in their heads that Marisa is working with us for some reason. I'm also kinda-sorta hoping that having Eirin as a witness to our non-maliciousness and Marisa's psychopathy will stall for enough time and let us get through to put her down, even with the tengu patrols wary of us.
Or I may just be rationalizing because I want to grind Marisa's face into the dirt. >_>
I suppose I can empathize with that, although it would be even nicer if we had some actual concrete evidence of the true cause, the next time we saw her; something we could actually use to convince her, rather than just beat her. Although I admit there would probably be a certain satisfaction in forcing her to stop being such a stupid inflexible hassle, terrorizing the local populations.
As for Kanako, I think she already believed we were not responsible for the island's falling. I'm just concerned we'll get the whole "Look at what you did, causing her to come here!" lecture if we show up. Possibly backed by divine fury, who knows.
I guess I see a couple possible outcomes:
a) Marisa leaves the place and intercepts us before we reach it. I actually think this may be one of the more likely things that will happen. At which point a battle is basically inevitable (and we have no terrain that allows an easy escape this time). Assuming Tenshi will stay and fight with us, we may have a chance at victory. Of course, whether engaging Marisa in public view while general suspicion is already on us will do good or bad for our reputation is an open question.
b) We manage to make it unmolested to the shrine while a battle is still in progress. This will almost certainly involve us joining the battle against Marisa. Odds of victory may be somewhat better, depending on which shrine combatants are still in fighting shape by the time we get there. They would at least be a witness to our confrontation, more or less on their behalf, which could probably score a couple points, anyway.
c) We arrive at the shrine after Marisa has departed. The condition of the occupants is probably an open question (ie: Eirin was fine, and we don't know to what degree they'd perpetuate the battle, or whether they would even pull something similar to get Marisa to leave). And depending on their mood towards us at the time over what they may think we 'caused', things could get ugly.
d) We get waylayed by Tengu patrols. It would probably be a bad idea to try and force our way past, if they won't listen to reason, as any altercation would likely be directly damaging to our reputation. Worst-case, they try to drive us away and we run into Marisa, while away from the shrine.
e) There's some wrinkle to what's really going on there that's not among the immediately obvious. Not much that can be planned around this one.
So, on the whole:
-We very likely end up fighting Marisa, which is almost certain to be a very difficult battle
-If we win, at best she may be out of commission for a little bit, which may be for the good of both us and others, although it seems unlikely to change her view of anything, and is at-best a temporary reprieve
-Our presence may exacerbate other tensions with the Tengu or the shrine
-Alternately, if we manage to prevent Marisa from having her way with them, we may engender ourselves to them a little, as well
Really, it seems that, short of somehow finding out new and unexpected information, that last bit is about all we stand to potentially gain from this, among the various bad things that could happen.
...and after writing all this, I'm beginning to think that a cost-benefit analysis may be almost beside the point, now. This would be something concrete to do, as opposed to continuing to (nearly) aimlessly cast about. Even if it just blows up in our face, in one of the many ways that it potentially could.
-
Marisa will be impossible to convince after Eirin's admission, so I'm not too concerned about that. As for anyone else, I think pointing at the weak shadows may be enough to convince them that, at the very least, whatever this was wasn't planned on our part.
The tengu have also seen Sanae chase us off, and they're sure to have seen that Spark. If we tell them that we're here to help the Moriya Shrine, that could be enough to throw them for a loop and, at the very least, they'd be willing to accompany us up the mountain to make sure we don't get into any funny business, unless they think Marisa is on our side for some reason.
I vote we go for her, if only to finally put her down and allow us to move more freely. Reimu's not nearly as stupid, and if she gets enough information from the right sources (Sanae, Eirin), I don't think she'll hinder us even after we put Marisa down.
-
Yeah, I think I'm willing to go with that. Still nervous about a couple things, but I guess we'll deal with potential fallout as it happens.
>"That twice too many times I've seen that today. Does she intend to attack every uninvolved party in Gensokyo?"
-
>"That twice too many times I've seen that today. Does she intend to attack every uninvolved party in Gensokyo?"
>Tenshi grimaces at the display. "Huh. I guess people really do think they are involved..."
>_
-
>"Well, she thought the Lunarians were involved earlier, too. And she believes we are, as well, of course. Has she convinced herself that half of Gensokyo is in on this?"
>"Tenshi, I think I wish to go back to the shrine. I am tired of running and hiding. And I am tired of her getting innocents involved in this crusade against us."
-
>"Well, she thought the Lunarians were involved earlier, too. And she believes we are, as well, of course. Has she convinced herself that half of Gensokyo is in on this?"
>"Tenshi, I think I wish to go back to the shrine. I am tired of running and hiding. And I am tired of her getting innocents involved in this crusade against us."
>"Well to be fair, the Lunarians are really suspicious." says Tenshi. "Wouldn't surprise me if it was their fault."
>"About time!"
>_
-
>Grin
>"I take it you're with me, then?"
>Fly to the shrine, at good speed
>"Just remember, after what happened last time, the Tengu may think we have hostile intent. Marisa has already made it clear she will not believe a word we say, so I don't think it matters what we do, as far as she's concerned. But we don't want to provoke anyone else if we can avoid it."
-
>Grin
>"I take it you're with me, then?"
>Fly to the shrine, at good speed
>"Just remember, after what happened last time, the Tengu may think we have hostile intent. Marisa has already made it clear she will not believe a word we say, so I don't think it matters what we do, as far as she's concerned. But we don't want to provoke anyone else if we can avoid it."
>"It's just like I said," says Tenshi. "No one believes you, so you don't have anything to lose."
>You take to the air and start toward the shrine.
>You give her a warning as you start to make your way up the mountainside. "I don't think the tengu are going to be a problem," says Tenshi. She gestures downward. There you see a patrol, which seems to have been rather soundly defeated given the way they are strewn across the mountain.
>_
-
>Sigh
>"She truly has no concern about who gets hurt along the way, does she? So convinced is she that she's right."
>Continue onward
-
>Sigh
>"She truly has no concern about who gets hurt along the way, does she? So convinced is she that she's right."
>Continue onward
>"Not like you were any different earlier," Tenshi says.
>You continue toward the Shrine, meeting no resistance. More notably, you see no telltale signs of danmaku, either.
>_
-
>"And I was like this, how?"
>How close are we to the shrine now?
-
>"And I was like this, how?"
>How close are we to the shrine now?
>"Well you sure as hell didn't think twice about hurting me, did you?" says Tenshi. "So I don't see where you get to say anything."
>You are getting close to it now.
>_
-
>"If you think that didn't bother me, you'd be mistaken. I'm sure you probably also think that's irrelevant, and perhaps you're right. I'll accept that responsibility. But don't forget that you, too, had similarly hurt other celestials before I arrived."
-
>"If you think that didn't bother me, you'd be mistaken. I'm sure you probably also think that's irrelevant, and perhaps you're right. I'll accept that responsibility. But don't forget that you, too, had similarly hurt other celestials before I arrived."
>"Yeah but I'm not the one acting like I didn't, and they were trying to keep me from what's mine anyway so it doesn't count," says Tenshi.
>_
-
>And she accuses us of being the ones who always act like we never do anything wrong...
>"That aside, I'm not liking the fact that we can't see any signs of fighting. Is it already over?"
-
>And she accuses us of being the ones who always act like we never do anything wrong...
>"That aside, I'm not liking the fact that we can't see any signs of fighting. Is it already over?"
>Quite.
>"Yeah, I think it is," says Tenshi.
>_
-
>"Then I guess we go survey the damage. Be on your guard."
>Head to the shrine
-
>"Then I guess we go survey the damage. Be on your guard."
>Head to the shrine
>You approach the shrine. Things seem more or less as they should be, save that a tall woman in in red blouse and dark skirt is sprawled out on the grass, a shimenawa on her back. Crouching beside her, smirking, is a small and younger-looking woman in a large straw hat. You recognize both of the deities without difficulty.
>_
-
>Is there no sign of Marisa?
>What kind of condition does Kanako seem to be in?
-
>Is there no sign of Marisa?
>What kind of condition does Kanako seem to be in?
>There doesn't seem to be.
>Kanako has quite clearly lost a danmaku battle. She's burnt, bruised, and has suffered a good deal of clothing damage. Her hair is a wreck as well.
>_
-
>Descend
>"It seems I've arrived too late. Are you alright?"
>"I take it Marisa decided you, too, were somehow responsible for all this?"
-
>Descend
>"It seems I've arrived too late. Are you alright?"
>"I take it Marisa decided you, too, were somehow responsible for all this?"
>You descend.
>"She'll be fine," says Suwako, glances over toward you as you land on the dry grass near them. "And I wonder what might have happened that would lead them to think we were involved? Maybe you have some ideas?"
>_
-
> "I have one floating theory. Marisa is a brainless oaf that tries to pass off her bullying as heroism. What happened here was entirely her fault, combined with a few instances of innocents being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
-
>"If you are implying it was my interaction with Sanae and my attempt to seek your council with her, this is possible, I admit. But you are also not the first people I have seen Marisa express her suspicions against violently, despite me having had literally not contact with them beforehand. She fought Eirin a few hours ago, having convinced herself that we were in league with each other. Apparently the primary basis for this was that we both came from above the clouds. It boggles the mind. She would do little to listen to reason, and believe me I tried."
-
> "I have one floating theory. Marisa is a brainless oaf that tries to pass off her bullying as heroism. What happened here was entirely her fault, combined with a few instances of innocents being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
>"If you are implying it was my interaction with Sanae and my attempt to seek your council with her, this is possible, I admit. But you are also not the first people I have seen Marisa express her suspicions against violently, despite me having had literally not contact with them beforehand. She fought Eirin a few hours ago, having convinced herself that we were in league with each other. Apparently the primary basis for this was that we both came from above the clouds. It boggles the mind. She would do little to listen to reason, and believe me I tried."
>"You hit it with the second one, there; although it probably is Eientei behind it all," says Suwako. "But we'll set that aside for now."
>She gives Kanako a prod. "Are you going to greet our guests or what?"
>"Just...a moment..." says Kanako. "You're doing so well....please don't stop....on my account."
>_
-
> "I don't know how responsible Eientei is. Eirin was all too happy to assist with treating the injured celestials in return for implicating us along with her."
> There are an awful lot of fingers being flung in every direction today.
-
>"I spoke with Eirin afterwards. If she is connected with any of this, she did a good job of concealing it. I got no hint of it from her whatsoever."
>"As for now, when I saw the master spark, I decided that I was frankly tired of Marisa tearing through innocent bystanders, without a care, or any evidence to support her accusations; celestial villagers who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, Tengu patrols on the way here, who know who else. But it seems I arrived too late to render assistance."
-
>"I spoke with Eirin afterwards. If she is connected with any of this, she did a good job of concealing it. I got no hint of it from her whatsoever."
>"As for now, when I saw the master spark, I decided that I was frankly tired of Marisa tearing through innocent bystanders, without a care, or any evidence to support her accusations; celestial villagers who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, Tengu patrols on the way here, who know who else. But it seems I arrived too late to render assistance."
>"Mmm, I think you gave her enough evidence already," says Suwako. "But again, let's set that aside."
>"The thought is appreciated," says Kanako, still laying down. "But there is little you could have done. It was an honest duel."
>_
-
> "Wait, hold up. I don't understand what you're implying. What have I done to make Marisa think she's right?"
-
> "Wait, hold up. I don't understand what you're implying. What have I done to make Marisa think she's right?"
>"This isn't hard, Messenger," says Suwako, frowning. "You're the prime suspect. You come here. We look like we're involved. You didn't hit your head on the way down, did you?"
>_
-
>"No, I did not. Although I wonder if that might have been preferable, given the events of the day."
>"I didn't say she didn't think she had enough evidence. Her belief that she's right does not make it so. But given some of the connections she drew when I spoke with her, I'm not sure how much reason is playing into her decision making processes, period."
>"And I have been a great many places today. Even if I were the perpetrator, my presence can hardly be seen to make everyone else complicit, or a majority of Gensokyo's major personages would all be accomplices by now."
-
>Consider implicating several of Marisa's closer friends and allies in the falling islands and the "invasion."
-
>"No, I did not. Although I wonder if that might have been preferable, given the events of the day."
>"I didn't say she didn't think she had enough evidence. Her belief that she's right does not make it so. But given some of the connections she drew when I spoke with her, I'm not sure how much reason is playing into her decision making processes, period."
>"And I have been a great many places today. Even if I were the perpetrator, my presence can hardly be seen to make everyone else complicit, or a majority of Gensokyo's major personages would all be accomplices by now."
>"Doesn't matter whether or not she's right, what matters is you gave her reasons to believe we're in on whatever happened," says Suwako, "We've already kinda got a poor reputation after coming here, so it's only natural that we'd look involved."
>_
-
> "Was that before or after you wiped everyone's memory and implanted your own creations before proceeding to alter them on a genetic level?"
> "I guess I can get behind that brand philosophy, if only because a certain variant of it gives me justification to grind her face into the dirt as soon as I catch up to her properly."
-
>"And what reason did I give for Eientei? I don't even know how to get there, but I've apparently been conspiring with them for ages now, if you were to hear Marisa talk about it. I came here originally seeking council. For the fact that this may have contributed to this altercation, I apologize. But I strongly suspect that the conclusions Marisa will leap to, in the end, have very little to do with any of us, once she gets something in her mind."
>"What happened with her, in any case? She clearly didn't decide to take it out on the both of you."
-
>"And what reason did I give for Eientei? I don't even know how to get there, but I've apparently been conspiring with them for ages now, if you were to hear Marisa talk about it. I came here originally seeking council. For the fact that this may have contributed to this altercation, I apologize. But I strongly suspect that the conclusions Marisa will leap to, in the end, have very little to do with any of us, once she gets something in her mind."
>"What happened with her, in any case? She clearly didn't decide to take it out on the both of you."
>"Both of you," says Kanako, before you can finish. "Stop it. Should I get a headache from this, I shall crack both of your heads together until your share it."
>"I was dealing with some things in my pond," says Suwako, in response to your second question. "So she didn't bother me."
>"Interesting how you finished with those things afterward," says Kanako as she sits up and rubs her head.
>_
-
>"Shall I assume she accused you of having a hand in this supposed invasion, then, and figured that things would be settled once you were incapacitated? Did she say anything else?"
-
>"Shall I assume she accused you of having a hand in this supposed invasion, then, and figured that things would be settled once you were incapacitated? Did she say anything else?"
>"Close enough," says Kanako, as she stands and smooths her ruined skirt. "She demanded to know what I did, and correctly divined that I was not being fully honest when I told her that you were chased from here without mentioning that Sanae brought you. Things broke down quickly afterward, as you imagined. As for anything else, not really. She did ask if Reimu had been through here yet, which she has not."
>_
-
>"I saw Reimu flying westward across the road through the forest before the mountain, perhaps a half hour ago, or so. I'm not sure where she was going. She, at least, didn't seem wholly convinced of my guilt the last time we met, but close enough that I'm not looking forward to a repeat encounter until I have something tangible to show her. "
>"Speaking of such, I don't suppose you've happened to observe anything new that might be relevant to the situation? I'm afraid I've been running into dead ends all over the place today."
-
>"I saw Reimu flying westward across the road through the forest before the mountain, perhaps a half hour ago, or so. I'm not sure where she was going. She, at least, didn't seem wholly convinced of my guilt the last time we met, but close enough that I'm not looking forward to a repeat encounter until I have something tangible to show her. "
>"Speaking of such, I don't suppose you've happened to observe anything new that might be relevant to the situation? I'm afraid I've been running into dead ends all over the place today."
>Kanako nods as you relay your last encounter with Reimu, such as it was.
>"I have been seeking disrupted shadows," says Kanako. "And have heard mentions of them among the many voices on the wind. Unfortunately, I've not been able find more than that."
>_
-
>"I... may have found at least one more. A disrupted shadow, I mean. I have been asked to keep it in confidence, but... well, it belongs to a person. And she has been little more than a vacant shell of a person since it disappeared, a couple of days ago."
-
>"I... may have found at least one more. A disrupted shadow, I mean. I have been asked to keep it in confidence, but... well, it belongs to a person. And she has been little more than a vacant shell of a person since it disappeared, a couple of days ago."
>Kanako nods for you to continue.
>_
-
>"I have been asked not to share this information, except where I think it may be necessary. Can I have your word that you will keep this in utmost confidence?"
-
>"I have been asked not to share this information, except where I think it may be necessary. Can I have your word that you will keep this in utmost confidence?"
>She nods. "Such things are sacrosanct to those such as us, you may rest easy."
>_
-
>"Thank you. It is Nitori whose shadow is missing, and whatever has caused this has left her in terrible shape. She's barely responsive, and seems almost unaware of the world around her. She simply sits and stares into space, even requiring others to feed her. It happened a couple days ago, although we're not sure precisely when. Parsee said she was fine when they parted with her one evening, and then was absent when they returned the next morning. They eventually found her later that afternoon, lying on a hill some distance from town. She's been like this ever since."
-
>"Thank you. It is Nitori whose shadow is missing, and whatever has caused this has left her in terrible shape. She's barely responsive, and seems almost unaware of the world around her. She simply sits and stares into space, even requiring others to feed her. It happened a couple days ago, although we're not sure precisely when. Parsee said she was fine when they parted with her one evening, and then was absent when they returned the next morning. They eventually found her later that afternoon, lying on a hill some distance from town. She's been like this ever since."
>"It sounds as though her soul has been stolen..." Kanako says, frowning as she reaches back and straightens her shimenawa.
>"...No, it's still there," says Suwako, looking toward the ground and furrowing her brow.
>_
-
>"Then do you have any idea what it could be that is missing? It seems far more fundamental than a shadow alone."
-
>"Then do you have any idea what it could be that is missing? It seems far more fundamental than a shadow alone."
>"I'm trying," says Suwako, frowning intently at the grass. "It'd help if the stupid kappa did more than take my name in vain most of the time..."
>"It is curious you say that they are not fundamental, Messenger" says Kanako. "Why do you say this?"
>_
-
>"Well, I suppose I had never seen a shadow as connected to a deeper part of one's self. It seems just a consequence of one's body blocking the light. I suppose, in this case, the surface representation of something deeper being altered?"
-
>"Well, I suppose I had never seen a shadow as connected to a deeper part of one's self. It seems just a consequence of one's body blocking the light. I suppose, in this case, the surface representation of something deeper being altered?"
>Kanako nods. "Precisely. It's an important signifier that the light can touch you. It bears other significances, but I am certain your master would be better able to teach you than I in those things."
>Suwako glares at the ground as though it spit on her.
>_
-
>Glance at Suwako
>"Find anything?"
-
>"Is... something amiss? Moreso than we already know, at any rate?"
-
>Glance at Suwako
>"Find anything?"
>"Is... something amiss? Moreso than we already know, at any rate?"
>"The cucumber muncher's being a pain," says Suwako. "It's hard to do this kind of thing for the barely faithful! But yeah, she's still got a soul. Still has her mind, too, I think. That's harder to tell..."
>_
-
>"It did seem like there might be the tiniest hint of her still inside there. I did manage to coax almost a word out of her, earlier. But then she stopped responding again. I don't know if she's missing part of herself, or if what part there is left is just buried so deeply that it can rarely touch the outside in any real way."
-
>"It did seem like there might be the tiniest hint of her still inside there. I did manage to coax almost a word out of her, earlier. But then she stopped responding again. I don't know if she's missing part of herself, or if what part there is left is just buried so deeply that it can rarely touch the outside in any real way."
>Suwako nods, scrowling at the ground as though it had punched her dog. "Yeah...it's there...sorta. I don't think it's just her lack of faith making this hard. I'm getting more and more the feeling she's not fully there. And not fully elsewhere, either..."
>_
-
>"Meaning, perhaps, that part of her is here and part of her is elsewhere at the same time?"
-
>"Meaning, perhaps, that part of her is here and part of her is elsewhere at the same time?"
>Suwako nods. "Yeah. I think her shadow isn't just gone, it's been taken."
>_
-
>"Can you get any sense of where it's been taken to?"
-
>"Can you get any sense of where it's been taken to?"
>Suwako, her brow furrowed like some geological calamity, says, "Kinda. Somewhere far off. Not sure how far off, though. Definitely not on the mountain, at least."
>_
-
>"But you think it's still physically in Gensokyo somewhere?"
>"Is there any way to narrow down where it might be, if I'm to start searching for it? Would there be some way to tell if I were getting nearer or further to it?"
-
>"But you think it's still physically in Gensokyo somewhere?"
>"Is there any way to narrow down where it might be, if I'm to start searching for it? Would there be some way to tell if I were getting nearer or further to it?"
>She nods. "I don't think it's slipped off to Higan or Hakugyokurou; or if it has it's not far."
>Suwako shakes her head. "Not in any way that you'd be able to do. I might not even know it; I could be right next to it and not sense it directly. I'm not, though, it's too far away from her to be here."
>_
-
>"Hmmm... that seems to not leave much to be done except searching aimlessly, then, does it not?"
>"Do you think what has been taken would be in a form I could recognize, were I do actually see it?"
>"Do you have any idea how this could be done? Or who would be capable of doing it?"
-
>"Hmmm... that seems to not leave much to be done except searching aimlessly, then, does it not?"
>"Do you think what has been taken would be in a form I could recognize, were I do actually see it?"
>"Do you have any idea how this could be done? Or who would be capable of doing it?"
>"Well at least you won't bother with here," says Suwako, "Which is a pretty good deal for free with all the trouble you caused us, if you ask me."
>"I would imagine it would look like her normal shadow," says Kanako. "I cannot say who would be able to do this, though I would cast my eye toward either the magicians or the people of Eientei, particularly the latter. As for how, that particular branch of knowledge has little to do with either of us."
>_
-
>"Why do you suspect Eientei in particular? What would they have to gain from this?"
-
>"Why do you suspect Eientei in particular? What would they have to gain from this?"
>"More than any other beings I have seen," says Kanako, "Their princess and her sage has shown a willingness to turn their backs upon or to subvert the natural order in one manner or another for the sake of personal gain. I know not what they would have to gain, but I cannot say that for any of the less likely suspects as well."
>_
-
>"No, that is true. Why Nitori, I wonder? You said that you had heard word of disrupted shadows on the wind. Do you believe there are others in her condition, as well?"
-
>"No, that is true. Why Nitori, I wonder? You said that you had heard word of disrupted shadows on the wind. Do you believe there are others in her condition, as well?"
>"I have no idea why anyone would target Nitori," says Kanako, shaking her head. "And yes, I have heard a little. I don't know if there are other victims, I've not heard that specifically. Unfortunately, I am not sure who said it, just that it is somewhere in the lower regions. I believe, though, it would be somewhere where many people gathered; likely the human town or the Forest of Magic."
>_
-
>"The tavern in the human village is where I learned of this myself. Utusho and Parsee were there. Could it have simply been that, which you heard of? Or do you think it is yet something else?"
-
>"The tavern in the human village is where I learned of this myself. Utusho and Parsee were there. Could it have simply been that, which you heard of? Or do you think it is yet something else?"
>"I don't believe it was just one conversation," says Kanako.
>_
-
>"Fair enough. Then I suppose I should head out and start searching."
>"I don't suppose you know where Marisa left to?"
-
>"Fair enough. Then I suppose I should head out and start searching."
>"I don't suppose you know where Marisa left to?"
>"She went north," says Suwako.
>_
-
>What's north of where we are now?
>"And I don't suppose she gave any hint of what she was planning to do next?"
-
>What's north of where we are now?
>"And I don't suppose she gave any hint of what she was planning to do next?"
>To the north directly is a lot of mountains, the Hakurei Shrine, and eventually Hakugyokurou.
>"Nope," says Suwako.
>_
-
>"Is there anything else you think I should be aware of before I leave? Or perhaps some way that I could be of assistance to you?"
-
>"Is there anything else you think I should be aware of before I leave? Or perhaps some way that I could be of assistance to you?"
>"Not quite," says Kanako. "But I suppose since the worst has happened, you may come and go as you please. I doubt the tengu will give you much difficulty."
>"You're welcome to make some donations," says Suwako. She gestures toward the pond off to the side. "The best ones are made over there."
>_
-
>Inventory
-
>Inventory
>Wide-brimmed hat (worn as hat)
>Exceedingly Stylish!
>Flamenco Dress (worn as dress)
>Allows both modesty and freedom of movement
>Pink Shawl
>A shawl that represents your status as a part of Bhava-Arga and allows you to defend yourself with devastating techniques.
>Large Black Purse
>Exactly what it sounds like. It holds all your stuff
>Spine Sign: "Acanthodii of the Thunder Clouds"
>This spellcard engulfs you in a shield of electricity. It can be broken with enough force, and only lasts for a short time before it must be renewed
>Light Orb: "Dragon's Gleaming Eyes"
>This recreates an image of one of The Dragon's physical manifestations in lightning and sends it out.
>Cloud Realm: "The Thunder Court in the Sea of Abstruse Clouds"
>Fills the air with webs of lightning, but leaves you motionless.
>Dragonfish: "Dragon Palace's Messenger Swimming Shot"
>Sends electricity spiraling out from you, but leaves you defenseless.
>1☼
>This is 1☼
>Gnawed Mushroom Stalk
>The remains of a tsuchinoko's dinner.
-
>"I'm afraid I have only a single ☼ to my name, and nothing else of any value but the clothes on my back and my spellcards. My apologies."
-
>"I'm afraid I have only a single ☼ to my name, and nothing else of any value but the clothes on my back and my spellcards. My apologies."
>"Bah," says Suwako. She turns, "I'll be in my pond."
>"I shall direct the Hakurei maiden toward you when she appears," says Kanako.
>_
-
>"In any event, I wish you two well. Hopefully we can make it through the day without any further headstrong sorts descending on either of us. Thank you both for your assistance."
>Leave the mountain and head towards the human village. Follow the road on ground level, once we return to it.
-
>"In any event, I wish you two well. Hopefully we can make it through the day without any further headstrong sorts descending on either of us. Thank you both for your assistance."
>Leave the mountain and head towards the human village. Follow the road on ground level, once we return to it.
>"I doubt that is going to happen," says Kanako. "But it is much too late to undo that issue. Fare well, Messenger. "
>You leave the Moriya Shrine. "So, what now?" asks Tenshi.
>_
-
>"Well, finding Nitori's shadow would be great, but we have little to go on other than 'not here'. Kanako said that others had been talking about disrupted shadows, and suggested that the conversations may have occurred in either the human village, or the forest of magic. It might be worth asking around to see if anyone's heard or seen anything."
-
>"Well, finding Nitori's shadow would be great, but we have little to go on other than 'not here'. Kanako said that others had been talking about disrupted shadows, and suggested that the conversations may have occurred in either the human village, or the forest of magic. It might be worth asking around to see if anyone's heard or seen anything."
>"It won't be at the village, so we can save time there," says Tenshi, as the two of you walk down the main street in tengu town.
>_
-
>"Well, the shadow itself might not be; I think we would have heard of that. But perhaps someone there has seen something? Perhaps someone has been similarly affect as Nitori? Or perhaps they know of someone who has? It's all still very vague, unfortunately. 'Someone somewhere talked about something that might be somewhat related to this.'"
-
>"Well, the shadow itself might not be; I think we would have heard of that. But perhaps someone there has seen something? Perhaps someone has been similarly affect as Nitori? Or perhaps they know of someone who has? It's all still very vague, unfortunately. 'Someone somewhere talked about something that might be somewhat related to this.'"
>"No, there isn't anything there because I'd know about it," says Tenshi. "I work there, remember? And hear what people are talking about."
>_
-
>Do we know how long it had been, before today, since Tenshi had last been working there? Hadn't she been being made to work in the peach orchard for the last little while?
-
>Do we know how long it had been, before today, since Tenshi had last been working there? Hadn't she been being made to work in the peach orchard for the last little while?
>She has been at the orchard every other day for the several days.
>_
-
>Oh, only every other day? So still plenty of time to be around the village
>"Point taken. And if it's something people wouldn't discuss in public in the first place, it would probably be difficult for us to find out without a better of idea of where we were looking for it."
>"I wonder if it would be worth inquiring at Kourindou? He has a fair share of people pass through there, although he's also rather tight-lipped about information. Perhaps if it did not pertain to any of his goods, he might forward something he'd heard?"
>"Otherwise, perhaps just canvas the forest area and hope to bump into something? I'm not how effective that would be, but we don't have a lot to go on."
-
>Oh, only every other day? So still plenty of time to be around the village
>"Point taken. And if it's something people wouldn't discuss in public in the first place, it would probably be difficult for us to find out without a better of idea of where we were looking for it."
>"I wonder if it would be worth inquiring at Kourindou? He has a fair share of people pass through there, although he's also rather tight-lipped about information. Perhaps if it did not pertain to any of his goods, he might forward something he'd heard?"
>"Otherwise, perhaps just canvas the forest area and hope to bump into something? I'm not how effective that would be, but we don't have a lot to go on."
>"I didn't think of that," says Tenshi, as you begin to hear the shouting voice from the last time you were here, sounding more hoarse than before and not quite intelligible from this distance. "Yeah, if it didn't involve his customers buying and selling, he wouldn't mind telling us."
>_
-
>As we continue on our way out of town, see if we can tell what the voice is shouting
-
>As we continue on our way out of town, see if we can tell what the voice is shouting
>Passing by a squat, single-story building in the middle of town, you can make it out pretty well. "Let me out! Please!" The speaker is definitely hoarse.
>_
-
> Is it a voice we recognize?
-
> Is it a voice we recognize?
>Not as it is. It does have a sort of familiarity to it, though.
>_
-
> "Hey, do you know who that is shouting? I can't quite place the voice, and you know more of this land than I do..."
-
> "Hey, do you know who that is shouting? I can't quite place the voice, and you know more of this land than I do..."
>"Oh, that's probably Aya," says Tenshi.
>Oh yes. Her. You've had run-ins with her. Or rather you discovered she was about after taking some pictures you'd prefer not exist...
>_
-
> Grin.
> "Reeeeeheheheeeeally? Oh, this ought to be pleasant."
> Head over to the building and inspect it for any windows.
-
> Grin.
> "Reeeeeheheheeeeally? Oh, this ought to be pleasant."
> Head over to the building and inspect it for any windows.
>You grin, despite yourself. "Wait, what're you planning?" Tenshi says as she follows you.
>You find there are several windows on the building, most of them barred. Glancing toward them, you can see Aya's face in at one of them, gripping the bars. "Oh thank heaven!" she cries as you come into view. "You gotta get me out of here! I'll do anything!"
>_
-
> "Anything? What on earth has you so desperate?"
> Is there any sort of crowd around this building?
-
> "Anything? What on earth has you so desperate?"
> Is there any sort of crowd around this building?
>"Incident!" she says. "I've missed too many of 'em!"
>Not a soul.
>_
-
> Adopt a passive expression.
> Casually grip one of the bars and try to wiggle it a little bit without expecting anything to actually happen.
> "Yes, I see. And why is this?"
-
> Adopt a passive expression.
> Casually grip one of the bars and try to wiggle it a little bit without expecting anything to actually happen.
> "Yes, I see. And why is this?"
>You put on a passive expression and idly test a bar. It does not budge, much as you expected.
>"Because the Yama abused her position to get me stuck in here, that's why!" Aya says.
>_
-
>"Abused her position? That's quite an accusation, in and of itself."
>What dealings have we had with the Yama?
-
>"Abused her position? That's quite an accusation, in and of itself."
>What dealings have we had with the Yama?
>"And it's exactly what happened!"
>You've never personally met her, but you're quite certain you don't become the Yama by being the kind of person who abuses their position.
>_
-
> "But why would she do such a thing? Surely she has enough work of her own to keep her busy and occupied away from here."
-
> "But why would she do such a thing? Surely she has enough work of her own to keep her busy and occupied away from here."
>"Probably because she's a sore loser and a philistine," says Aya.
>_
-
> Adopt a confused expression.
> "You had a fight? With the Yama? What on Earth for?"
-
> Adopt a confused expression.
> "You had a fight? With the Yama? What on Earth for?"
>You adopt a confused expression and inquire further.
>"Because I needed her picture for the sake of art, that's why!" says Aya.
>"Probably being a pervert again," says Tenshi.
>"Oh look, the village idiot thinks she can pass judgment on art now," Aya says, glaring at Tenshi.
>"That's it!" says Tenshi, conjuring a keystone into her hand
>_
-
> Wow. If Tenshi's guess is correct, someone has a lot of chutzpah to go after the Yama in that fashion.
> Hold an open hand out to Tenshi to indicate she should stop.
> "Hold it. Don't let yourself be goaded."
> Turn back to Aya.
> "You say you'll do anything to be let out?"
-
> Wow. If Tenshi's guess is correct, someone has a lot of chutzpah to go after the Yama in that fashion.
> Hold an open hand out to Tenshi to indicate she should stop.
> "Hold it. Don't let yourself be goaded."
> Turn back to Aya.
> "You say you'll do anything to be let out?"
>That does take an impressive amount of moxie. Perhaps she intends to blackmail her way into a proper afterlife?
>"I'll give her a goading she'll never forget," says Tenshi. But she stops herself from doing anything else.
>You then turn back to Aya and ask for clarification. "I don't like the way you accented that at all, but yeah. As long as it's not completely braindead."
>_
-
> Smile.
> "Oh, I don't think I have any particularly unreasonable in mind."
> "But I have a few simple questions first, so let us begin. Where is your camera right now?"
-
> Smile.
> "Oh, I don't think I have any particularly unreasonable in mind."
> "But I have a few simple questions first, so let us begin. Where is your camera right now?"
>She frowns just a tad, but nods.
>"It's on the shelf in here," says Aya, "behind the front desk. Why?"
>_
-
> "And you are alone in there right now?"
> Do we know how to operate a camera?
I have to go to work for a few hours, but I do have a plan on how to work this out.
-
> "And you are alone in there right now?"
> Do we know how to operate a camera?
>"Where're you going with this?" asks Aya, furrowing her brow at you.
>Not particularly, but given Aya can use it on the move with effectiveness, it can't be that hard.
>_
-
> "I'm going in a direction that will let you out of jail, if really want it. More immediately importantly, however, I'm not going to just blast you out of here while there may be patrols or guards running about. I don't need that extra stress."
> "Now, are you alone in there or not?"
-
> "I'm going in a direction that will let you out of jail, if really want it. More immediately importantly, however, I'm not going to just blast you out of here while there may be patrols or guards running about. I don't need that extra stress."
> "Now, are you alone in there or not?"
>It's clear from her frown that she doesn't like this. "Yeah, I'm alone. Usually Momiji or some other guard is in here during their off time, but it's an incident so they're all busy."
>_
-
> Nod.
> "All right. I will see you inside momentarily, then."
> "Before I go, however, I am going to make my first request in return for releasing you."
> Indicate Tenshi.
> "You are to apologize to the Eldest Daughter of the Hinanai Clan for insulting her, you are to do it using her proper title, and you are to do it in a meaningful fashion. Being snarky or half-assed will not work."
-
> Nod.
> "All right. I will see you inside momentarily, then."
> "Before I go, however, I am going to make my first request in return for releasing you."
> Indicate Tenshi.
> "You are to apologize to the Eldest Daughter of the Hinanai Clan for insulting her, you are to do it using her proper title, and you are to do it in a meaningful fashion. Being snarky or half-assed will not work."
>"Fine, fine," says Aya.
>She looks to Tenshi, sighs, then says, "I apologize for calling you the village idiot, Eldest Daughter of the Hinanai Clan."
>Tenshi says, "Hmmph."
>_
-
> Nod.
> "Good. Now, if you'll excuse us for a moment."
> Leave Aya and make for a door that will lead into the building.
> If we find a door into the building that's reasonably out of earshot of Aya, turn to Tenshi before opening it, drop our voice low, and say "Did she ever 'get' you as well?"
-
> Nod.
> "Good. Now, if you'll excuse us for a moment."
> Leave Aya and make for a door that will lead into the building.
> If we find a door into the building that's reasonably out of earshot of Aya, turn to Tenshi before opening it, drop our voice low, and say "Did she ever 'get' you as well?"
>"Try not to take too long," says Aya. "There's news happening!"
>You walk around the building and find the front door. You notice a little sign on it that reads, "Emergency. Please come back later."
>You are quite certain Aya won't hear you, so you quietly ask Tenshi the question. "Oh yeah," she says, frowning. "A couple of times."
>_
-
> Frown similarly.
> "Hopefully this will give her a new appreciation for 'art', then."
> Try to open the door.
-
> Frown similarly.
> "Hopefully this will give her a new appreciation for 'art', then."
> Try to open the door.
>"Doubt it," says Tenshi.
>You test the door, and find it opens easily. Inside, you can see a desk and a small office across from the door. A shelf behind it has a number of loose items. To the west, you can see three chambers with walls and doors made of bars. Aya stands at the middle one, watching you with obvious expectation and hope in her eyes.
>_
-
> Search around the shelf for Aya's camera.
> To Aya: "Pardon my ignorance, but how exactly does your camera work?"
-
> Search around the shelf for Aya's camera.
> To Aya: "Pardon my ignorance, but how exactly does your camera work?"
>You are able to pick it out pretty easily on the shelf, it's practically at eye level.
>"You hand it to me and tell me what you want a picture of," says Aya. "It's delicate equipment."
>_
-
> "What I want a picture of cannot be photographed from within your cell, and I cannot let you leave until I have what I want. I can, however, assure you my grip is steady, I do not plan on going anywhere with it, and that it is in my best interests to make sure nothing undue happens to it, just as it is in yours."
-
> "What I want a picture of cannot be photographed from within your cell, and I cannot let you leave until I have what I want. I can, however, assure you my grip is steady, I do not plan on going anywhere with it, and that it is in my best interests to make sure nothing undue happens to it, just as it is in yours."
>Aya sighs. "Fine, fine. But if you break it, so help me, I will do everything in my power to end you. Alright, first thing you do is..."
>The imprisoned tengu gives you a number of complicated-sounding directions. But as you put them into practice, you find the process is simple. You are reasonably confident you can pull it off without problems.
>"So," says Aya, "I'm pretty sure what you've got in mind. So it just comes down to a question; do you just want some petty pin-up, or do you want art?"
>_
-
> Smile.
> "The latter, of course."
-
> Smile.
> "The latter, of course."
>She nods. "Well, maybe you'll be better at it than Momiji was. I'll make a deal with you, then. Let me out, and I'll loan you my back-up camera. Then, name a time and a place if you want. Or just try to catch me off guard whenever you want, it's your choice. Because this right now? There's no art in it."
>"Wait, you're gonna do that?" says Tenshi.
>_
-
> "Well, the thing is that I quite disagree with the assertion that what we have now isn't art, or at least that it cannot become art without minimal effort."
-
> "Well, the thing is that I quite disagree with the assertion that what we have now isn't art, or at least that it cannot become art without minimal effort."
>"Yeah, but you're trying to get even, right?" says Aya. "So if you don't do it right, what's the point? This kind of situation? Hardly counts; you're coercing me and I can't even get away. I wouldn't have it, myself."
>_
-
> "Assuming I were doing this to 'get even', one could take the stance that the embarrassment and helplessness of coercion actually adds to the experience instead of taking away from it."
-
> "Assuming I were doing this to 'get even', one could take the stance that the embarrassment and helplessness of coercion actually adds to the experience instead of taking away from it."
>"If you say so," says Aya with a shrug. "But if you did something that was actually artistic, I'd be obligated to put it in the gallery, wouldn't I? Otherwise, I'll just point out to people you never actually did anything that counts, and your getting even will just ring hollow."
>_
-
> Recall known info about this 'gallery'.
> When Aya showed us how to take a picture, did the camera actually spit a picture out?
-
> Recall known info about this 'gallery'.
> When Aya showed us how to take a picture, did the camera actually spit a picture out?
>You don't know anything about it. But from what you gather, it is where she puts her "art".
>No, but she told you not to do the last step yourself until you were ready.
>_
-
> Recall knowledge of recent incidents. In particular, how much do we know about the temporary sun disappearance many months back?
> Shrug.
> "Then I guess our definitions of 'art' differ, and the question then becomes why what I do doesn't qualify as art while what you do does."
> "But I should probably make something clear, since it seems I've realized something about our subjects in my studies that you haven't in yours. All of your subjects aren't concerned with what qualifies as art, they're only concerned that their privacy was invaded. Were something unpleasant to happen here, they wouldn't care that you were forced into it, or that there was no element of surprise, or anything like that. They probably won't even stop to take any pleasure in the fact that your very own camera was used to defile your art style. They will only care that you were subjected to the same indecencies and embarrassments that they were, and that will give them plenty of satisfaction."
-
> Recall knowledge of recent incidents. In particular, how much do we know about the temporary sun disappearance many months back?
> Shrug.
> "Then I guess our definitions of 'art' differ, and the question then becomes why what I do doesn't qualify as art while what you do does."
> "But I should probably make something clear, since it seems I've realized something about our subjects in my studies that you haven't in yours. All of your subjects aren't concerned with what qualifies as art, they're only concerned that their privacy was invaded. Were something unpleasant to happen here, they wouldn't care that you were forced into it, or that there was no element of surprise, or anything like that. They probably won't even stop to take any pleasure in the fact that your very own camera was used to defile your art style. They will only care that you were subjected to the same indecencies and embarrassments that they were, and that will give them plenty of satisfaction."
>You remember that day quite clearly. There was some question as to what exactly that thing that floated a little ways past The Dragon Palace was, then suddenly it was night. Thankfully outright panic didn't happen, just a lot of petitioners appearing at the Palace Gates after the fact. You consulted with The Dragon that day, and learned it was the result of an incident triggered by Yuka, and resolved by Patchouli and Utsuho. You've heard of some of other events around that; apparently Hakugyokurou attacked Scarlet Devil Mansion for some reason. You're reasonably sure there was some excitement around here, as well.
>"You say it like that," says Aya. "but there's a problem. You might impress some, but others are going to know that you did it the lazy way. And most importantly, all three of us are going to know." She shrugs. "But it's your call, art or laziness. I won't give you any problems. Also, I'm pretty sure there's a key in the desk drawers."
>_
-
> Do we recall any involvement Aya may have had with anything?
> "You may call it laziness. I call it taking advantage of an opportunity. I'm not concerned with style points, I'm concerned with the subject's form, and if I may be honest and frank, yours appears to be quite lovely."
-
> Do we recall any involvement Aya may have had with anything?
> "You may call it laziness. I call it taking advantage of an opportunity. I'm not concerned with style points, I'm concerned with the subject's form, and if I may be honest and frank, yours appears to be quite lovely."
>You are aware that she's renowned for being a quite the terror with her photography.
>"You just contradicted yourself there. You say you're concerned with form and such, then you don't even want to try for anything other than a boring staged photo?" says Aya. "But whatever, what do I know? I only do it for a living."
>"Wow, Sanae is going to be so jealous," says Tenshi.
>_
-
> Are we aware of any involvement she may have specifically had with the incident where the sun temporarily disappeared?
> Turn to Tenshi and give a small grin, then turn back to Aya.
> "What does being staged matter? The body is the body, staged or unstaged."
> "But enough of this. You have your preferences, I have mine. To each their own, as far as I'm concerned. Shall we begin, then?"
-
> Are we aware of any involvement she may have specifically had with the incident where the sun temporarily disappeared?
> Turn to Tenshi and give a small grin, then turn back to Aya.
> "What does being staged matter? The body is the body, staged or unstaged."
> "But enough of this. You have your preferences, I have mine. To each their own, as far as I'm concerned. Shall we begin, then?"
>You are not.
>Tenshi raises an eyebrow in response to you, her grimace full of confusion.
>"Yeah, just remember that when I tell you you're dancing wrong," says Aya. "And before we begin, how exactly are you planning to get me out of this box? Because aside from waking in here, I've not seen you do anything to that effect. And I want you word you're not just going to do a flash and dash on me."
>_
-
> "You said there was a key in the desk drawer, right? I'll go fish it out while you get ready, if you like."
-
> "You said there was a key in the desk drawer, right? I'll go fish it out while you get ready, if you like."
>"Please," says Aya. "And your word, as well."
>"I'll get it," says Tenshi, as she heads over toward the desk.
>_
-
> Nod to Tenshi, then turn back to Aya.
> "A flash and dash would not accomplish what I have set out to do. There is more to why I have come to you than just art fulfillment. So no, I do not plan on running away. If circumstances dictate that I change my mind and leave, your camera will be returned to you before I depart, and I will not speak of the details of this encounter again."
-
> Nod to Tenshi, then turn back to Aya.
> "A flash and dash would not accomplish what I have set out to do. There is more to why I have come to you than just art fulfillment. So no, I do not plan on running away. If circumstances dictate that I change my mind and leave, your camera will be returned to you before I depart, and I will not speak of the details of this encounter again."
>Tenshi heads over to the desk and begins to rifle through it.
>"You're not saying the words, I notice," says Aya. "Let's hear them. Swear on The Dragon that you're going to get me out of here."
>_
-
> "I swear on The Dragon that, as long as you fulfill my requests, I will release you from this prison."
-
> "I swear on The Dragon that, as long as you fulfill my requests, I will release you from this prison."
>"And that they aren't unreasonable, like I said before," says Aya.
>"Found it," says Tenshi.
>_
-
> "I don't think they're unreasonable, but our tastes may differ, which is why I wish the conditional leeway I have stated."
> "And while I am thinking about it, I will make my second request, another relatively small one. If I am to release you from this prison..."
> Indicate Tenshi again.
> "...you are to never again use the Eldest Daughter of the Hinanai clan as a subject for your art."
-
> "I don't think they're unreasonable, but our tastes may differ, which is why I wish the conditional leeway I have stated."
> "And while I am thinking about it, I will make my second request, another relatively small one. If I am to release you from this prison..."
> Indicate Tenshi again.
> "...you are to never again use the Eldest Daughter of the Hinanai clan as a subject for your art."
>"That would be extremely unreasonable," says Aya, giving you a dark look. "I didn't agree for the Yama and Yukari or the deities, and I'm not agreeing for you. I don't make exemptions, it would make a farce of the entire project."
>_
-
> Raise an eyebrow.
> "Making an exception for one single subject, one whom you've already used a couple of times, would really be that catastrophic?"
-
> Raise an eyebrow.
> "Making an exception for one single subject, one whom you've already used a couple of times, would really be that catastrophic?"
>Her expression does not lighten. "Yes."
>_
-
> Sigh.
> Turn to Tenshi.
> Check to see if Tenshi is holding the key or not.
> "Eldest Daughter, what do you think?"
-
> Sigh.
> Turn to Tenshi.
> Check to see if Tenshi is holding the key or not.
> "Eldest Daughter, what do you think?"
>You sigh and turn to Tenshi. She has the key in hand.
>You ask for her thoughts. "I dunno," says Tenshi. "Honestly, you're kinda weirding me out again..."
>_
-
> "Well, it is your privacy in question. If you do not mind dropping that stipulation, I will do so."
-
> "Well, it is your privacy in question. If you do not mind dropping that stipulation, I will do so."
>"Well, I'd prefer she didn't bother me," says Tenshi. "But from the way it sounds, even if she did say yes she'd probably be lying about it."
>"Hey!" says Aya.
>_
-
> "Very well. And don't worry, Tenshi. I will be glad to explain myself later. Just trust me on this, okay?"
> Turn back to Aya.
> "Consider that stipulation dropped, then. And, as you can see, she has the key."
-
> "Very well. And don't worry, Tenshi. I will be glad to explain myself later. Just trust me on this, okay?"
> Turn back to Aya.
> "Consider that stipulation dropped, then. And, as you can see, she has the key."
>"Okay," says Tenshi, "You better..."
>Aya's expression softens. "Good. Okay. So now what?"
>_
-
> Grab the camera as we've been instructed, being extra careful not to drop it or smudge the lens.
> "Now we begin."
> Do not take any pictures yet.
-
> Grab the camera as we've been instructed, being extra careful not to drop it or smudge the lens.
> "Now we begin."
> Do not take any pictures yet.
>You take the camera in hand, and look through it. Yes, this should work well enough.
>Aya nods.
>_
-
> When we practiced earlier, did we actually take any pictures, or just go through the motions?
-
> When we practiced earlier, did we actually take any pictures, or just go through the motions?
>You've not actually taken any yet.
>_
-
> "Actually, let me take a practice picture, while you start getting prepared, okay?"
-
> "Actually, let me take a practice picture, while you start getting prepared, okay?"
>"I'm ready now," says Aya. "But go ahead."
>_
-
> Aim the camera toward Tenshi.
> "Tenshi, do you mind? I don't want you do to anything out of the ordinary, just stand there and smile or something."
-
> Aim the camera toward Tenshi.
> "Tenshi, do you mind? I don't want you do to anything out of the ordinary, just stand there and smile or something."
>"Huh?" says Tenshi, looking up from continued rifling through the drawers. It looks rather natural.
>_
-
> Take a picture of Tenshi.
-
> Take a picture of Tenshi.
>You push the button. There is a snap and a flash, both familiar to you, and the whirring of arcane machinery.
>Tenshi blinks, "What the-?"
>_
-
> "Well, how about that."
> Wait for the machinery to stop making noise.
-
> "Well, how about that."
> Wait for the machinery to stop making noise.
>It ceases after a moment.
>"Oh, you got it to work," says Tenshi.
>_
-
> "Yeah. But there doesn't seem to be a picture."
-
> "Yeah. But there doesn't seem to be a picture."
>"Those have to be developed," says Aya. "I suppose, if you must have one now, I can set it print them out. But don't go nuts, that stuff isn't cheap."
>_
-
> "I shouldn't need more than three or four. Would that be an issue?"
-
> "I shouldn't need more than three or four. Would that be an issue?"
>"Yeah, that'll be fine," says Aya, "Unless Momiji went on a bender with it when I wasn't looking."
>She holds her hand out for the camera.
>_
-
> Hand it over.
-
> Hand it over.
>Aya takes it, fiddles with a few things, then hands it back over.
>"You're the boss," says Aya, "Just tell me what you want done."
>_
-
> Back away a little bit, just out of range of reach.
> "Yes, about that. You mentioned that you were ready, but I see you are still fully-clothed."
-
> Back away a little bit, just out of range of reach.
> "Yes, about that. You mentioned that you were ready, but I see you are still fully-clothed."
>She backs away.
>"Like I said, you're going to have to give me directions if we're not aiming for actual art."
>_
-
> Let out a soft annoyed grunt, then quickly shake our head.
> "Right. You can begin by shedding those oppressive garments."
-
> Let out a soft annoyed grunt, then quickly shake our head.
> "Right. You can begin by shedding those oppressive garments."
>"Which ones?" Aya asks.
>_
-
> "All of them."
-
> "All of them."
>"Just like a public bath, I guess," says Aya, as she starts to comply.
>Tenshi snorts with repressed laughter. "You really are a huge pervert!" she says, "I can't wait to let everyone know about this!"
>"There, happy?" asks Aya, as she finishes undressing.
>_
-
> Is absolutely everything gone?
-
> Is absolutely everything gone?
>It most certainly is. You note she's flung some of her clothes over the window. She stands with her arms crossed and tapping a foot.
>_
-
> "You seem remarkably calm about this. I must admit I'm impressed."
-
> "You seem remarkably calm about this. I must admit I'm impressed."
>"I told you, I want out of here," says Aya. "Just...hurry up. News is happening."
>_
-
> Is there some sort of bed in Aya's cell?
-
> Is there some sort of bed in Aya's cell?
>There is. In fact, it is appointed rather decently. Not much worse than your's was, for what furnishings the two share.
>_
-
> "Very well. I only hope you can come to appreciate this instead of looking down upon it. You, of all people, should know what it's like to have your craft misunderstood and ridiculed."
> Point to the bed.
> "I would you like you to lie down and feign sleep. Without covering anything, of course."
-
> "Very well. I only hope you can come to appreciate this instead of looking down upon it. You, of all people, should know what it's like to have your craft misunderstood and ridiculed."
> Point to the bed.
> "I would you like you to lie down and feign sleep. Without covering anything, of course."
>"I guess it'd be like watching some punk youkai flailing around and calling it dance for you," says Aya, as she lays down on her back and closes her eyes. She looks reasonably like someone asleep.
>_
-
> "Can you lie a bit more on your side, facing this way?"
> "And funny you should say that, it actually happened this morning. Clumsy as it was, it came from the heart, and thus was still appreciable."
-
> "Can you lie a bit more on your side, facing this way?"
> "And funny you should say that, it actually happened this morning. Clumsy as it was, it came from the heart, and thus was still appreciable."
>She complies. In doing so, limbs end up obscuring some things, but it looks natural enough.
>"Yeah, this is worse. No heart or life in it at all. It's all set up."
>_
-
>Let irony take its course.
-
>Let irony take its course.
> Not just yet...
> "All right, I've been willing to brush it aside the first few times, but now I'm getting tired of it. We're going to have to cut the prejudice if we want to get out of here."
I'm out for the night. Kudos to Aya for calling my major bluff, but I'm not quite done yet, and she's not doing herself any favors with her attitude.
For the record, my ultimate goal is to get her to run info-gather for us on the shadows (steering her 100% clear of Youkai Mountain, of course). Initially this was going to be basic blackmail but Aya's been surprisingly receptive to her situation, which kinda steps on that idea. Given that and how anxious she is for a story, we may be able to get info from her anyway. I don't trust her fully without something to Lord over her - she may simply run off to do her own thing, or she may lie about what she's found - but it'll be better than just leaving her in jail.
If people want to continue this path, the immediate goal is to capture tasteful and natural nudity. Aya as she is right now is nothing but herself. Explain it like that after getting a couple of other non-sexualized shots (for the love of God, don't make her pose like a whore) and she may even appreciate it for herself, given her philosophy behind pantyshooting.
-
> Not just yet...
> "All right, I've been willing to brush it aside the first few times, but now I'm getting tired of it. We're going to have to cut the prejudice if we want to get out of here."
>"You're bound by a vow," says Aya, opening her eyes. "And I did my part. You never once said I had to submit quietly to this little farce, just that I had to submit. And we've made out agreement. In fact, the pictures aren't even part of the deal, just my posing. Which I've done. But I am keeping the spirit by letting you get in your half-baked spite, aren't I? So, shall we? Or have you had a change of heart and want to try actual art?"
>_
-
(okay I lied one more)
> "I am bound by a vow with a request-fulfillment conditional, and, if you want to play the semantics game, no defined time frame or guarantee for your personal health."
-
(okay I lied one more)
> "I am bound by a vow with a request-fulfillment conditional, and, if you want to play the semantics game, no defined time frame or guarantee for your personal health."
>"You're not, but that would be against the spirit. I'm still holding to the spirit," says Aya, closing her eyes again. "Should you fail to match it, well...that says exactly what you think about taking vows upon your deity's name, doesn't it? I am certain it would be pleased with that."
>_
-
> Sigh.
> "Why are you doing this?"
> Idle curiosity: How many hats do we have in our collection?
-
> Sigh.
> "Why are you doing this?"
> Idle curiosity: How many hats do we have in our collection?
>You have a sigh.
>"I could ask you the same," says Aya. "You've certainly got a whole lot further than I have."
>She opens her eyes and glares at Tenshi, "And will you please stop staring, you have one too."
>You have a few. You don't want to imagine what condition they are in right now.
>_
-
> "Then do so. But I asked first."
-
> "Then do so. But I asked first."
>"Why? Because I tried to meet you in the middle, get something everyone could be happy with. Instead, you want petty revenge, and probably going to act like I'm the one in the wrong. So, can we please stop wasting time, get this over with?"
>_
-
> "...Yeah, let's."
> Lower the camera (still being careful not to drop it).
> "Put 'em back on. I've changed my mind."
-
> "...Yeah, let's."
> Lower the camera (still being careful not to drop it).
> "Put 'em back on. I've changed my mind."
>"Wait, what are you planning?" asks Aya.
>Despite her suspicion, she doesn't hesitate to follow your directions.
>_
-
> "An offense slightly less egregious than what I had initially deluded myself into thinking was a good idea. And no, before you take yet another pot shot at another's interests, I'm not talking about art."
-
> "An offense slightly less egregious than what I had initially deluded myself into thinking was a good idea. And no, before you take yet another pot shot at another's interests, I'm not talking about art."
>"And that is?" Aya asks.
>_
-
> "The real reason I went through all this. I want information, and I want it as quickly as you can get it."
-
> "The real reason I went through all this. I want information, and I want it as quickly as you can get it."
>"So you were just gonna blackmail me instead of asking, huh?" says Aya. "Or were you really just looking to make your friend jealous?"
>"Hey!" Tenshi cries.
>"Anyways, sure, what do you need?"
>_
-
> "Whatever the reason, you're in jail, and you've taken pictures of things neither of us are particularly happy you took pictures of. So yes, I had blackmail in mind, because I didn't trust you not to simply run out on us. But I've realized that I've seen plenty of distrust all over the place in Gensokyo today, and that blackmailing you would make me no different from them."
> Is the camera prepared to take another picture? If not, do whatever we need to so it is prepared while we're talking.
> "What I really want is very likely similar to what you want. You're aware that there are problems afoot, correct? That Bhava-Agra has fallen? We have discovered that the islands cast weak shadows, and, in asking around, it seems those weak shadows are related to the fall of the islands. My current working theory is that the weak shadows are a direct byproduct of some sort of energy drain. This is what I have found, in finding some other things that have weakened shadows."
> "What I specifically want from you is to investigate these shadows. See if you can find even more things, possibly people, that have weakened shadows. Find out as much as you can about them, and find as many as you can, especially other people. Search anywhere in Gensokyo that you like except for this mountain - I have already covered it to my satisfaction, as well as the satisfaction of the Moriya goddesses, who are not in the greatest of moods right now. Search these things out and gather info, and then relay everything you find to me."
-
> "Whatever the reason, you're in jail, and you've taken pictures of things neither of us are particularly happy you took pictures of. So yes, I had blackmail in mind, because I didn't trust you not to simply run out on us. But I've realized that I've seen plenty of distrust all over the place in Gensokyo today, and that blackmailing you would make me no different from them."
> Is the camera prepared to take another picture? If not, do whatever we need to so it is prepared while we're talking.
> "What I really want is very likely similar to what you want. You're aware that there are problems afoot, correct? That Bhava-Agra has fallen? We have discovered that the islands cast weak shadows, and, in asking around, it seems those weak shadows are related to the fall of the islands. My current working theory is that the weak shadows are a direct byproduct of some sort of energy drain. This is what I have found, in finding some other things that have weakened shadows."
> "What I specifically want from you is to investigate these shadows. See if you can find even more things, possibly people, that have weakened shadows. Find out as much as you can about them, and find as many as you can, especially other people. Search anywhere in Gensokyo that you like except for this mountain - I have already covered it to my satisfaction, as well as the satisfaction of the Moriya goddesses, who are not in the greatest of moods right now. Search these things out and gather info, and then relay everything you find to me."
>"As long as I get publishing rights," says Aya. "But yeah, I think I can do that. I'll meet you at, say...Mystia's? That's still there, right?"
>_
-
> Which hand is our dominant hand?
> Do we feel comfortable taking a picture with only one hand on the camera?
-
> Which hand is our dominant hand?
> Do we feel comfortable taking a picture with only one hand on the camera?
>Right.
>You think you can.
>_
-
> "I have no interest in publishing rights, though I'd prefer whatever you write be published after this problem is fixed, if possible."
> "Anyway, is there anything else on the shelf that belongs to you?"
-
> "I have no interest in publishing rights, though I'd prefer whatever you write be published after this problem is fixed, if possible."
> "Anyway, is there anything else on the shelf that belongs to you?"
>"Unless it runs too long," says Aya, "but we'll worry about that later on."
>"Some personal items, I'll get them on the way out."
>_
-
> Nod.
> "All right, then."
> Walk over to Tenshi.
> "You have the key?"
> Offer our left hand while keeping a firm grip on the camera with our right.
-
> Nod.
> "All right, then."
> Walk over to Tenshi.
> "You have the key?"
> Offer our left hand while keeping a firm grip on the camera with our right.
>Tenshi hands you the key.
>_
-
> Smile and nod in Tenshi's direction.
> "Thank you."
> What side of the door is the lock on?
> How does the door open? Sliders or hinges?
> What side of the door is the shelf on?
-
> Smile and nod in Tenshi's direction.
> "Thank you."
> What side of the door is the lock on?
> How does the door open? Sliders or hinges?
> What side of the door is the shelf on?
>The lock is on the outside, and the doors swing open and inward. The shelf is on a wall perpendicular to the cell, a few yards away.
>_
-
> The hinges are on the inside of the door? Who build this jail cell, anyway?
> Walk back over to the jail cell.
> "So here we are. Now, since you're big on this sort of thing, I want you to swear on Lord Tenma that you will gather the information I have requested, and truthfully report it back to Tenshi and myself within a reasonable time frame."
-
> The hinges are on the inside of the door? Who build this jail cell, anyway?
> Walk back over to the jail cell.
> "So here we are. Now, since you're big on this sort of thing, I want you to swear on Lord Tenma that you will gather the information I have requested, and truthfully report it back to Tenshi and myself within a reasonable time frame."
>"Alright," says Aya, "I swear upon the good name of Lord Tenma and the tengu people that I'll find what I can and report it to you truthfully and without lingering too long."
>_
-
> "Okay then. Stand back,
there's a hurricane coming through these doors will swing in."
> After Aya has moved out of the way, unlock the cell door, and open it.
> After the door has been opened, step to one side of them and gesture with our left arm for Aya to leave the cell in the direction of the shelf while getting our right hand gripped on the camera so it is ready to take a picture.
> "After you."
> Get next parser prompt when Aya has started to walk past us.
-
> "Okay then. Stand back, there's a hurricane coming through these doors will swing in."
> After Aya has moved out of the way, unlock the cell door, and open it.
> After the door has been opened, step to one side of them and gesture with our left arm for Aya to leave the cell in the direction of the shelf while getting our right hand gripped on the camera so it is ready to take a picture.
> "After you."
> Get next parser prompt when Aya has started to walk past us.
>You open the door and let Aya out, stepping aside with the camera in hand. Aya strides out.
>_
-
> Are we out of her line of vision?
-
> Are we out of her line of vision?
>You believe so.
>_
-
> Follow behind her, moving so that we're a little more directly behind her than to an angle, and then start bending forward and down as quietly as we can. The bending should be fast enough to not last more than a couple of steps. Try not to smack into Aya's back, however.
> When we're close enough, reach out to stick the camera underneath her skirt, pointed up, and snap a photo.
-
> Follow behind her, moving so that we're a little more directly behind her than to an angle, and then start bending forward and down as quietly as we can. The bending should be fast enough to not last more than a couple of steps. Try not to smack into Aya's back, however.
> When we're close enough, reach out to stick the camera underneath her skirt, pointed up, and snap a photo.
>You try to close in on Aya, without smacking into her back or clomping on her heels.
>Closing in, you try to slip the camera under her skirt. Before you can push the button, she steps to the side. "I invented that technique, you know," says Aya. "But a good try. You gave yourself away by the way you were holding it."
>She approaches the shelf, and takes a few things from it.
>_
-
> "Worth a shot. Seems it's more your loss than mine, anyway."
-
> "Worth a shot. Seems it's more your loss than mine, anyway."
>"It'd miss the point if I just let it happen," says Aya. "Anyways, you two should go out ahead of me. And...thanks, really."
>_
-
> "Right. And, well...yeah. Still wish you could have granted Tenshi a reprieve, though."
> Head for the door.
> "Tenshi, shall we go?"
-
> "Right. And, well...yeah. Still wish you could have granted Tenshi a reprieve, though."
> Head for the door.
> "Tenshi, shall we go?"
>"And not yourself, huh?" says Aya. "Anyways, I'll find you, or leave something for you at the stand."
>You head for the door. Tenshi follows. "Yeah, let's get out of here."
>_
-
> "All right then."
> Head on out of the jail room.
> We still have Aya's camera, right?
-
> "All right then."
> Head on out of the jail room.
> We still have Aya's camera, right?
>"Can I have that back?" Aya says, before you step out the door. "If you want one, I'll get you my spare."
>_
-
> She doesn't miss a thing.
> "What's the difference between the two?"
-
> She doesn't miss a thing.
> "What's the difference between the two?"
>"You wouldn't notice the difference," says Aya.
>_
-
> "So it's functionally identical, the quality is the same, and it will print pictures immediately the same?"
-
> "So it's functionally identical, the quality is the same, and it will print pictures immediately the same?"
>"You wouldn't notice the difference," Aya says again.
>_
-
> "But you would, clearly."
> "How badly do you want one of the one Gensokyo native you can't get?"
-
> "But you would, clearly."
> "How badly do you want one of the one Gensokyo native you can't get?"
>"I'm a professional," she says. "And, I'm playing the odds here. Chances are, you won't be able to pull it off, and are going to be doing others things most of the day anyways. On the other hand, I'm most definitely going to have some news to record."
>_
-
> "And your backup camera isn't good enough for that?"
-
> "And your backup camera isn't good enough for that?"
>"This one is just better for it," Aya replies, frowning a bit. "that's why the other one is the backup camera. Look, can we discuss this later when there's less of a chance of Momiji walking through the front door?""
>_
-
> "I will make my final statement on the matter here, then. I am not interested in a second camera. So you can let me leave the mountain with this camera, someone who is willing to indulge you and at least make an effort to provide you the final piece of your puzzle. Or you can let me leave with no camera at all, with your main camera back with you, but also with your demonstrably clumsy friend, the knowledge that no one else in Gensokyo will indulge you in this without heavy persuasion and bribery, and with your masterpiece forever left incomplete."
-
> "I will make my final statement on the matter here, then. I am not interested in a second camera. So you can let me leave the mountain with this camera, someone who is willing to indulge you and at least make an effort to provide you the final piece of your puzzle. Or you can let me leave with no camera at all, with your main camera back with you, but also with your demonstrably clumsy friend, the knowledge that no one else in Gensokyo will indulge you in this without heavy persuasion and bribery, and with your masterpiece forever left incomplete."
>"Okay, fine," says Aya. "Just be careful with it. If you break it, so help me, I might owe you a debt of gratitude but I'll still wring your neck."
>"You're really getting into this, aren't you?" Tenshi says.
>_
-
> Smile.
> "Believe me, the last person in Gensokyo I want to anger is one that dabbles in your profession - and your hobbies."
> Make for the door.
> "And thank you. See you at Mystia's."
> Leave.
-
> Smile.
> "Believe me, the last person in Gensokyo I want to anger is one that dabbles in your profession - and your hobbies."
> Make for the door.
> "And thank you. See you at Mystia's."
> Leave.
>You obtain: Aya's Primary Camera
>"I'm going to pretend you meant that in a good way. And if I miss you, I'll leave a message with Mystia."
>With that, you depart the prison. Walking out into the street, you are pleased to hear no one raising an alarm.
>"You are way weirder than I thought..." says Tenshi.
>_
-
> Grin so Tenshi can see.
> "Oh? And which of us got admonished for staring, again?"
-
> Grin so Tenshi can see.
> "Oh? And which of us got admonished for staring, again?"
>"Who's not going to stare when that kind of thing happens!" Tenshi says. "And it's your fault it even happened to begin with!"
>_
-
> "Well, I hope you at least saw something you liked."
-
> "Well, I hope you at least saw something you liked."
>"Well it was your idea, so you probably liked it more than anyone would!" Tenshi cries, glaring at you.
>_
-
Laugh.
> "C'mon, let's get to Yukari's before we get shanked."
-
> "C'mon, let's get to Yukari's before we get shanked."
>"Too late!" says Momiji as she shanks you from the roof with the power of reach advantage. "Shouldn't have hung around so long."