Yukari Quest, continued?!

[Darkoda]

>If Suwako's not outside, find the shrine bell or something and ring it.

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>If Suwako's not outside, find the shrine bell or something and ring it.

>You find a bell above the offertory box, which you ring.
>There is no response.

>_

[Darkoda]

>How long have we been gone for? She did say that she was going to rest.

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>How long have we been gone for? She did say that she was going to rest.

>Roughly half an hour. And she did say that.

>_

[Darkoda]

>...Oh boy
>Fine, wait on one of the onabashira stuck in the lake or something. Might as well get some rest ourselves and waking her up really isn't going to help matters.

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>...Oh boy
>Fine, wait on one of the onabashira stuck in the lake or something. Might as well get some rest ourselves and waking her up really isn't going to help matters.

>You head back towards the lake, looking to get some rest yourself. Though you wonder how long you should spend resting.

>_

[Darkoda]

>What time of the day is it?

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>What time of the day is it?

>Judging by the skies, early afternoon. You would estimate the time to be somewhere around 2PM.

>_

[Darkoda]

>What time were we supposed to meet Yuyuko again?

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>What time were we supposed to meet Yuyuko again?

>Rather than a specific time, you sent an invitation to meet some time during the evening. You think that she would probably come between 7 and 9 PM.

>_

[Darkoda]

>Then we rest until 5 PM. She's a god, three hours should be fine.

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>Then we rest until 5 PM. She's a god, three hours should be fine.

>You decide to take it easy for the next three hours. You feel rather well rested once you're done.

>_

[Darkoda]

>Back to the shrine and ring that bell!

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>Back to the shrine and ring that bell!

>You head back to the shrine and ring the bell above the offertory box once more.
>You hear Suwako's voice coming from behind you soon after ringing the bell.
>"You know, it's incredibly rude to ring that without making an offering."

>_

[Darkoda]

>Turn around.
>"My offering may not be material, but it's a meaningful donation all the same~"
>"Well so far, further investigations has left me with the conclusion that I'm either in the past, or this is a dimensional rift that sucked both you and Kanako in and wiped your memories."
>"Either way, I've made progress. Have you noticed that there are only three people in this entire world? That there's an odd sensation permeating this world?"

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>Turn around.
>"My offering may not be material, but it's a meaningful donation all the same~"
>"Well so far, further investigations has left me with the conclusion that I'm either in the past, or this is a dimensional rift that sucked both you and Kanako in and wiped your memories."
>"Either way, I've made progress. Have you noticed that there are only three people in this entire world? That there's an odd sensation permeating this world?"

>You turn around to see Suwako standing with her arms crossed once more.
>"Doesn't change the fact that it's rude."
>"So which is it?"
>"What does that have to do with anything?"
>"You say that you've made progress, so tell me about it. Is she going to stop trying to take over this shrine?"

>_

[Darkoda]

>"Ah well, I'll try for the material next time."
>"Who knows? I'm fairly sure fixing this world would reveal it quickly enough though."
>"It has everything to do with it; I'd think a world with only three people is odd enough without that ominous feeling. When you consider that neither you nor Kanako actually noticed these details until I pointed them out, and something is very wrong."
>"I believe that I mentioned that this isn't my experience with something like this; well it isn't the first time I've felt this particular disturbance either, and I do recall just what it took to fix, and what it did to the person tied to that event."
>"So my question to you is; do you remember just how long you've been fighting Kanako for? Or just why this shrine has so much meaning to you?"

>Yes we've ignored her last question, but frankly the fact that she dismissed the world having no one but her and Kanako as not important is most worrying. We remember what Yuyuko was like before we sealed the tree.

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>"Ah well, I'll try for the material next time."
>"Who knows? I'm fairly sure fixing this world would reveal it quickly enough though."
>"It has everything to do with it; I'd think a world with only three people is odd enough without that ominous feeling. When you consider that neither you nor Kanako actually noticed these details until I pointed them out, and something is very wrong."
>"I believe that I mentioned that this isn't my experience with something like this; well it isn't the first time I've felt this particular disturbance either, and I do recall just what it took to fix, and what it did to the person tied to that event."
>"So my question to you is; do you remember just how long you've been fighting Kanako for? Or just why this shrine has so much meaning to you?"

>Yes we've ignored her last question, but frankly the fact that she dismissed the world having no one but her and Kanako as not important is most worrying. We remember what Yuyuko was like before we sealed the tree.

>"Do what you will."
>"You keep talking about fixing whatever it is that's broken, but from what I've seen, you haven't been doing much about it."
>"And aren't you supposed to be fixing that?"
>"Then shouldn't this be easy for you to fix?"
>"What kind of question is that? She's been trying to take over this shrine for the past two years. And this is my shrine, isn't it? Why should I have to give it up?"
>"I take it that you haven't convinced her to give up then. We're done talking for the time being then."
>Suwako begins to walk past you back towards the shrine.
>You note your experiences from the netherworld.

>_

[Darkoda]

>"Two years....about the time when the border cracked, and the rip I traveled through to reach here would have opened. Doesn't that sound at all suspicious to you?"
>"Well I can tell you for certain now that you're the Suwako from my time. Or at least, what's left of her."
>Time to stop dancing around; normal talking didn't work, Kanako is an object lesson in physical force going nowhere, so brutal honesty is on order.
>"I've noticed that from the moment it came up, you've been fixated on this shrine to the point of obsession, neglecting everything else, even the meaning behind a lack of sources of faith."
>"Why are you so tied down to a memory of a shrine? Even if Kanako gives up, what then, do you sit here for however long it takes for your faith to run out and for you to disappear?"
>"Did the end of the Suwa war bother you so badly that you'll throw away your life, the lives of those who worshiped you, and that of your descendant over misplaced pride?"

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>"Two years....about the time when the border cracked, and the rip I traveled through to reach here would have opened. Doesn't that sound at all suspicious to you?"
>"Well I can tell you for certain now that you're the Suwako from my time. Or at least, what's left of her."
>Time to stop dancing around; normal talking didn't work, Kanako is an object lesson in physical force going nowhere, so brutal honesty is on order.
>"I've noticed that from the moment it came up, you've been fixated on this shrine to the point of obsession, neglecting everything else, even the meaning behind a lack of sources of faith."
>"Why are you so tied down to a memory of a shrine? Even if Kanako gives up, what then, do you sit here for however long it takes for your faith to run out and for you to disappear?"
>"Did the end of the Suwa war bother you so badly that you'll throw away your life, the lives of those who worshiped you, and that of your descendant over misplaced pride?"

>Suwako stops walking while you talk.
>"If what you're saying is true, that is."
>"And what is that supposed to mean?"
>You decide to try a different approach than the one Kanako has been applying.
>"So what? It's my shrine."
>"Throw away my life? I think you're misunderstanding something here. I have more than enough faith. I have no intention of dying or disappearing."
>"Now, I believe I told you that we were done talking."
>Suwako begins walking again, entering the shrine.

>_

[Shadoweh]

> Puff our cheeks. Stubborn gods.. follow her.
> "You can never have enough faith. You can't deny that your supply will run out with no worshippers to replenish it. Unless you're receiving faith somehow."
> "How have you been holding this shrine if Kanako has defeated you every day for two years?"
> "I am attempting to fix it. Understanding why this battle has been so prolonged is important. Your shrine isn't going to be lost, even if you surrender. There's no one else who can take your place here, is there?"

[Darkoda]

>"A shrine? I don't see a shrine; with no maiden nor worshipers this isn't much more than a fancy looking building you have an unhealthy obsession over."
>"And you're still running from the question; valuing a building over your own life is one thing, but have you become selfish enough to damn your descendent and worshipers over this?"
>"A building can easily be rebuilt; lives are far harder to replace."

>On that note; do we have any magic up our sleeves that would smash a shrine?

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

> Puff our cheeks. Stubborn gods.. follow her.
> "You can never have enough faith. You can't deny that your supply will run out with no worshippers to replenish it. Unless you're receiving faith somehow."
> "How have you been holding this shrine if Kanako has defeated you every day for two years?"
> "I am attempting to fix it. Understanding why this battle has been so prolonged is important. Your shrine isn't going to be lost, even if you surrender. There's no one else who can take your place here, is there?"

>You follow Suwako into the shrine, talking to her whilst doing so.
>"You just don't give up, do you?"
>"Because she is waiting for me to surrender the shrine, which I will never do."
>"And you can guarantee that?"

>"A shrine? I don't see a shrine; with no maiden nor worshipers this isn't much more than a fancy looking building you have an unhealthy obsession over."
>"And you're still running from the question; valuing a building over your own life is one thing, but have you become selfish enough to damn your descendent and worshipers over this?"
>"A building can easily be rebuilt; lives are far harder to replace."

>On that note; do we have any magic up our sleeves that would smash a shrine?

>"Don't you dare forget your place, whelp. You're nothing but a mere youkai, yet you dare to criticise a god?"
>"Perhaps you need to be taught your place."
>Suwako takes off her hat, and begins to rummage through it.
>It would not be using magic, but with a bit of time you could tear through a shrine with relative ease.

>_

[Darkoda]

>If she wants to play, suit herself; even without our gaps, we didn't make the Gensokyo barrier and train a kitsune to be our shikigami with gap-hax alone.
>Keep an eye out to dodge or put up a magic barrier. Especially involving stuff from the ground seeing as she's an earth and curse goddess.
>"And you are a god that has abandoned her worshipers and family over a building. I'm simply stating it as I see it."

[Shadoweh]

> She doesn't seem to actually think she's abandoned anyone. Insulting the god isn't going to fix anything. Don't do that.
> "I know that in Gensokyo you and Kanako are working together, and the shrine is still called the Moriya Shrine. You even cause incidents together."
"Why does she need to wait for you to surrender? Can't she just.. take it?"

[Darkoda]

Letting her avoid the fact that her obsession with the shrine is unhealthy will get us nowhere though.

>Okay, word my last comment this way: "You placed the building as a higher priority than the fact that you and Kanako have been trapped here for two years. I can't think of any words to fit that other than an unhealthy obsession."

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

>If she wants to play, suit herself; even without our gaps, we didn't make the Gensokyo barrier and train a kitsune to be our shikigami with gap-hax alone.
>Keep an eye out to dodge or put up a magic barrier. Especially involving stuff from the ground seeing as she's an earth and curse goddess.
>"And you are a god that has abandoned her worshipers and family over a building. I'm simply stating it as I see it."

> She doesn't seem to actually think she's abandoned anyone. Insulting the god isn't going to fix anything. Don't do that.

>You decide against further aggravating Suwako for the time being.

> "I know that in Gensokyo you and Kanako are working together, and the shrine is still called the Moriya Shrine. You even cause incidents together."
"Why does she need to wait for you to surrender? Can't she just.. take it?"

>"But this isn't your Gensokyo, is it?"
>"How would I know? Ask her."

>"You placed the building as a higher priority than the fact that you and Kanako have been trapped here for two years. I can't think of any words to fit that other than an unhealthy obsession."

>You see Suwako reach deeper into her hat, her entire arm going inside the hat. It seems the hat's insides are a lot larger than what its appearance would suggest.
>Suwako then pulls out an iron shortsword, which she examines before pointing it at you.
>"This should do for a lowly youkai that fails to acknowledge where she stands and continues to mouth off to a god."

>_

[Shadoweh]

> Oh well. Maybe it was fated to turn out like this.
> What weapons and spellcards do we have right now?
> Fly backwards out of the shrine. "I think you will find I am not just some lowly youkai. What would it mean to you if you lost~?"

[Dormio Ergo Sum]

> Oh well. Maybe it was fated to turn out like this.
> What weapons and spellcards do we have right now?
> Fly backwards out of the shrine. "I think you will find I am not just some lowly youkai. What would it mean to you if you lost~?"

>Perhaps there was no other way?
>None whatsoever.
>Suwako chases you out of the shrine.
>"Nothing, since it would never happen."

>_

[Yonowaaru]

>"And that is exactly the kind of misplaced confidence that will make you lose this battle!~"
>Time until next gap?

I think it would be best to lure her to Kanako? We don't have anything to fight her with, and just running won't do anything..

>Strategical retreat to where we last saw Kanako. No, we're not fleeing~