On The Boundary ~ Illusionary Festival for the Dawn

[GuyYouMetOnline]

"What happens," Laresa said, "depends on factors beyond my control. I intend to avoid combat if at all possible, but there is still a chance that it will be required. I won't fight if I don't have to. You know me well enough to know that. Thank you for the information, and hopefully I'll see you at the feast."

WIth that, Laresa departed, leaving Keine and the newcomer behind. Laresa's rudeness towards the newcomer was actually fairly normal for her, and deliberately so. She generally wanted people to keep their distance, and rudeness helped encourage them to do so. Keine knew this, and despite her disapproval, she didn't say anything about it. She didn't know exactly what had happened to Laresa-Laresa hadn't told anybody-but she knew it was bad. And she doesn't ask about it. She may not like my attitude, but she accepts it. And that's good enough for me.

Laresa had told Keine the truth; she indeed did not intend to fight if she didn't have to. But if she did have to, she was, as always, ready.

[Sonae]

Sora gazes around at her unfamiliar surroundings as she waits patiently for her guide to return. She had never seen, let alone been in, a building like this before. Sora wondered what the Mistress was like, living in such an elegant house, sleeping late in the day, even the fact that her servants called her ?mistress? made her seem quite impressive.
?I wonder?? Sora mumbles to herself.

Just then the girl is brought back from her daze by the sudden opening of the large doors beside her, causing her to twitch.
Meiling pokes her head out and glances around. ?Oh, there you are. The Mistress is ready to see you? She says as she steps out and closes the door to only a small crack.
Sora doesn?t speak, and hesitantly nods.
Meiling nods and slowly opens the door, allowing the girl passage into the room.
Sora takes a breath to prepare herself, and bravely steps into the room.

As the girl steps in she notices the large size of the room, as if it could comfortably fit a hundred people or more. Two large windows sit on one wall of the room. Outside Sora can see the residual light of the sun in the sky, darkness having nearly covered the entire sky.
As she brings her gaze back towards the center of the room, she sees her.
There setting in the middle of the room at a small table is a child-sized girl.
Her shoulder length hair is a pale light blue, and her eyes are deep crimson. She?s wearing a light, nearly white, pink dress with a matching mobcap. Her outfit is adorned with many scarlet ribbons. But what is the most noticeable thing about her, is the two large, bat-like wings protruding from her back. She smiles ominously as she looks back at the girl.

Sora is visibly stunned by the girl?s appearance. Her mouth is open, but unmoving, unable to speak in front of the being before her. Silence hovers over the room.
Then, the girl speaks.
?Welcome, Sora?

[Oldmansour]

Kohaku is left with the distinct impression that the Saigyoji woman is like this all the time. Flighty, capricious, beautiful... On the other hand, Hyozan was comfortable enough in her presence to plop his head into the ghost's lap. That counts for a lot in the Daidouji heir's books. Maybe she acts like one of those flighty princesses in the stories her father used to read to her when she was a wee lass, but if Hyozan thinks she's a good person, that's good enough for Kohaku. Despite the fact that she's a ghost. She takes a moment to observe the sword wielding Konpaku woman, trying (futilely) to restrain her mistresses' appetite. She feels a flicker of sympathy for the cute yet serious little thing, if that's the way Yuyuko carries herself all the time. On the other hand, she'd wager they're rarely bored.
They seem like good folks, ghosts or no. Kohaku's not sure she'd be able to keep up with that Yuyuko is she was haunting her, but she could imagine far worse spirits to haunt her than a free-spirited, beautiful woman. And her cute little sidekick, to boot. It'll be sad to tell them that that newspaper was mistaken, that she couldn't be the new shrine maiden, but it wouldn't be right to lie to them.

Wait a second here. If she's a ghost... How can...
"How can a ghost be hungry?" she asks out loud.
Hyozan, for his part, rises from his position, looking a little disheveled himself, as though Yuyuko had dissapeared out from under him. Well, she is a ghost. Perhaps she had. He pads casually after the ghost-girl, perhaps looking for a bit of grub himself.
"How did you touch her, Hyozan?" Kohaku asks the dog, then shakes her head, and calls after Yuyuko, "And how was Hyozan able to touch you? I thought ghosts weren't.... y'know, solid? Corporeal." she adds, the bigger word taking her a second or two to recall.

[Amraphenson]

The apprentice shifts uncomfortably in his new clothing. A dark brown, long sleeved kimono with a stylized design of coals and rising flame at the hem...it's a little too perfect. 'Otou-sama likely ordered it for me...' Tetsumaru noted offhandedly.

As he walked along the road to where this party supposedly was, he paused. Something...again, from the edge of his conscience...?!

The road was mercifully empty when he pulled out his shikomizue at his reflection at an adjacent window. There, hiding behind him yet not there at all, was...him?

"Yo."
"You-?"
"Oh, don't worry. I don't have much longer."
"Who...?"
"No one. Not anymore. You are all that's left of me...I'm gone. Done for. Kaput. Dead. Whatever pleases you. I wanted to talk to you at least once before I left."
"...so?"
"Haha! Is that anyway to treat your progenitor?...ha, I suppose you wouldn't know better. You forgot, didn't you? It's odd that I only gain back my conscience when I fade away..."
"...who are you?"
"What you were before. What was. A man who sought perfection, in all forms. Who grew disillusioned, and in his attempt to avoid death left a legacy. The self proclaimed Perfect Human, he who chased an endless dream. A man who wished to grasp the so called Holy Grail of humanity. And you are the result. So live on, kid. Show me the product of all my work. Show me the ideals you forge with those hands. I'll be heading on first."

A sardonic smirk.

And before he could even respond, the image faded. His grip slacked on the blade, and eventually he slid it back inside the scabbard. "He..."

With nothing left to do, nothing left to say, and no one to say it to, the smith's apprentice continued on his way to the party, thoughts mulling and stirring. "...so those were my lost years...?" he asks, to no one and nothing.

[Sonae]

---Sourfang

Youmu had managed to persuade Yuyuko to wait, and she reluctantly let out a cute sigh as she took her seat next to Hyozan again.
?Bourei are no different than humans? Yuyuko says, a sweet smile on her face as she pets the malamute?s head once more.
Youmu nods silently in agreement.

[Oldmansour]

"What's a Bourei?" Kohaku blurts, before shaking her head rapidly. "No, wait, hold on, just a moment here." She takes a moment to ensure she has both their attention, before settling a matter outstanding since the two got here. "Look, I don't mean to dissapoint you, and I would hate to ruin your moods, but, I'm afraid there's been some kind of mistake. That newspaper made a mistake; I'm not the new shrine maiden of this place. I can't be."

[Marokuu]

Sanaya followed the woman with her eyes as she left, not quite feeling insulted but definitively not pleased.

"Not the most pleasant of individuals. You would figure that she has at least some grasp of common courtesy."

She was silent for a moment before she realized that Keine was still there and that she had heard her musing to herself. "Oh pardon me. Do not mind my blabbering, I am certain that I just caught you two at a bad time."

An awkward silence settled, she had never been the best at talking about things other than her trade and the thoughts of an oni had re-entered her mind.

"Ehm, anyways I had just meant to stop by to say hello before heading to the feast at the shrine." She looked down the road in the direction the shrine should be according to her directions, the other woman had already gone out of sight. "Well, I should be on my way, will I be seeing you there later sensei?"

[Dorakyura]

Amaya approaches Sanae to see what she's holding. "Is this the Bunbunmaru? That crow brought us a paper aswell. Have you two read the newspaper already?" She asks the two goddess.
"Can I take a look?" Amaya takes the paper and unfold it to read it. "Flower Viewing... Hakurai Shrine... new miko... a feast will be held...", she skim through the titel page out loud.
"Mmh? A new miko? What happened to the previous one?" She wonders and gives the newspaper back to Sanae. "I never was at the Hakurai Shrine, will we go to the feast?", she continues.
Amaya turns herself to the bag in the corner: "I'll bring the groceries into the kitchen. Ok?", she says as she pick up the quite heavy bag.

[trancehime]

Senri looked at the sword and the gauntlets that Nanaya had removed before she hopped onto the bed with him, and then learned that Nanaya came from a cave of some sort by the Hakure Shrine, and then she met some people and then apparently stopped meeting people again, which explained her hermit-like tendencies. She apparently "left" her old home, but Senri wasn't too sure of the authenticity of the story. Then, he heard that Nanaya had heard a voice in her head and was asking her that particular question. Oh, mother... seriously... Senri gave himself a mental facepalm before coughing for a moment to clear his throat. When she looked away, Senri tilted her head and then heard her namedrop a name. To be honest, Senri didn't pay too much attention to what she was talking about when she was talking about her weapon, though the tidbit about Makai did intrigue him somewhat. However...

"I heard you mentioned someone called Amaya...? Who are they?" Senri asked politely as he could, head-tilting included.

[[Y]oukai [J]esus]

"...Amaya." Nanaya remembered her impoliteness when she rushed out of the Moriya shrine. She didn't even get to meet Kanako... Or what'shernamegreenhair. Nanaya struggled to remember the original shrine maiden's name, and after a little wincing and thinking, it popped back into her head.

"Amaya is S-Sanae's daughter! Yes, Sanae! You know, like on the Moriya Shrine, with Kanako and... That other girl goddess what's her name..." Nanaya said enthusiastically but the emotion soon died into a monotone when attempting to remember the other goddess' name. A wave of silence flushed into the room once more, before Nanaya looked at the bed once more. This time, it seemed fluffy and... Fluffy... and...

Nanaya dropped herself onto the bed, burrowing her face in it and eventually falling asleep with the same "Mmms" and satisfied moans.

[trancehime]

Senri looked at Nanaya as she was explaining who Amaya was. Sanae, Sanae, who was that Sanae, Nanaya mentioned something about a Moriya Shrine, but he really wasn't at all sure what it was. Youko only ever told him about the Hakurei Shrine, he did not know of the existence of a second shrine here in Gensokyo, then again, he was not incredibly well-read nor was he incredibly well-traveled. While he wasn't an uncultured lout, he was certainly ignorant about most things in the world. He didn't leave the town very much; Aika his sister may probably know more about it. Senri made a mental note to ask Aika about this Moriya Shrine. However, before he could ask the girl more about her life (not that he really LIKED her in that sense or anything, he was just curious because he had not really met a hermit before) Nanaya looked at the bed and promptly fell asleep again. Senri sighed.

"So, I was the first boy you met, huh... Weird." Senri shrugged as he looked at Nanaya's sleeping figure, burying her face in HIS bed and making some sounds again.

[Sonae]

---Sonae

?So,? The girl says as she takes the teacup from the fairy that had just brought it to her. She carefully sets it down on the table next to her, soon after resting her head on her head, a slightly ominous smirk spread across her face. She gazes at the human before her, her red eyes seem as if they gaze right through the girl.
?You?re here to apply for a position as a maid correct??
Sora hesitates for a moment, still in a daze.
?Ah?Yes, that?s right?? Sora says, trying not to stutter.
?What are your skills?? the mistress asks nonchalantly as she runs her delicate fingers along the edge of the teacup.
?Um?my skills??? Sora asks, dumbfounded by the sudden informal question.
The mistress casts a glance at the human before turning her eyes back to the cup.
?What can you do? What makes you any better than all the fairy maids employed here?? She asks as she raises the teacup to her soft lips and takes a sip.
As she does so, her face contorts in displeasure. She lowers the cup, a deep, disturbed frown now spread across her face.
Sora blinks, not quite understanding the situation. ??Um???
?Can you make better tea than fairies?? The mistress asks with a hint of irritation.
?Um?Yes?? I believe s-? Sora begins, swiftly being cut off by the mistress.
?You?re hired.? She says as she puts the cup down, pushing it away. The girl then rests her face on her hands, her expression changed to a pout.
?U-uh??? Is all Sora can utter before the girl speaks again in a louder voice.
?Meiling. Show her to her room? She says, annoyance obvious from her tone.
?Y-yes!? Meiling pipes up, seeming to have not been paying attention for a short while. She rushes over to the newly appointed maid and grabs her wrist. She turns her head and gazes at her for a moment before turning forward and speaking.
?Follow me? She says as she begins walking towards a door on the far side of the room.
Sora nearly trips as the youkai drags her over to the exit. She just nods as they head on their way.
As they approach the door, Sora looks back towards the young mistress who is still sitting at the table. Sora watches as another fairy enters the room, bringing the mistress a small gray bundle. The Mistress sits up and takes the bundle from the fairy without casting a glance in the human?s, or the fairy?s, direction.
Sora opens her mouth, but refrains from speaking, and stays silent.
Soon enough, the pair exit into the hallway, leaving the Mistress alone in the empty, and now silent, room.

---------

---Sourfang

The pair gaze at the human before them, still digesting the words she had thrown at them. Youmu has a dumbfounded expression on her face, obviously surprised by this sudden revelation. Yuyuko however isn?t nearly as shocked, in fact, she?s still smiling.
?W-w-wha?? Youmu stutters. Unable to retain her composure. Yuyuko pulls out her folding fan, holding it in front of her face. Her eyes flicker with a perceptive light for a moment, becoming sharp and cunning.
?It?s not good to lie you know?? Yuyuko says as she glances at the girl, the ghostly Mistress giving off an entirely different feel than before.
Youmu looks from the princess, to the human, and back again. She?s wearing a clueless expression, as if she?s been left out of some important loop.

---------

---Marou

Keine gives a sigh as she watches Laresa leave with Sanaya.
?Not the most pleasant of individuals. You would figure that she has at least some grasp of common courtesy.? Sanaya thinks aloud, gaining a side cast glance from the still frowning Keine.
As Sanaya realizes she spoke out loud, she apologizes to Keine who gives a halfhearted response.
?Yeah?? She mumbles loud enough for Sanaya to hear. Her eyes remain fixed on the place where Laresa had vanished from site.
I hope she doesn?t do anything foolish?
Distracted by her worry, Keine almost doesn?t hear Sanaya speak up again.
?Hm? Yeah later?? Keine responds, still somewhat distracted.

Just then, lights flare up.
Keine is awoken from her daze and turns towards the source of the light.
Around the village, the laterns were being lit for the many nighttime businesses that flourished throughout the village.
Then, Keine remembered.
?Ah! I?m sorry Sanaya, we?ll have to part ways here, I have some things I need to do before it?s too late.? She said as she quickly scribbled down the directions for Sanaya, ripped the page from the notepad, and handed it to the young woman.
?It was nice to see you again? Keine shouts as she takes off towards the village?s market, waving her farewell before turning ahead and rushing out of sight.

---------

---Dorakyura

?A-ah, yeah?? Sanae says, blushing out of embarrassment for forgetting that the Tengu always drops a copy of her newspaper at their shrine.
As Amaya asks her question, Suwako nods energetically. Kanako shrugs slightly before speaking up.
?I?ve glanced through it. Aya?s papers are so packed with so little actual value after all?? She comments bluntly, gazing around in boredom.
Amaya casually picks up the papers and begins to read aloud.
?Flower viewing?Hakurei Shrine?new miko?a feast will be held?? She mumbles aloud as she skims the front page. As her eyes find the title, she speaks up with a question.
?Mhm? A new miko? What happened to the previous one?? She asks as she holds out the paper to her mother.
Sanae had begun to reach out for the newspaper, but upon hearing her daughter?s question, stopped, her hand frozen in mid motion.
Her mouth was open, but she didn?t say anything.
Slowly, Sanae?s smile faded away.

?Riibbiiit??
Startled, the two gaze at the space between them.
There, atop an outstretched palm was a large frog.
The mother and daughter stare at it, speechless for a moment.
The frog sits, oblivious to their stares. After a few seconds, it turns its head, and then leaps off of its perch.
?Ah! Kero-chan! Come back!? Suwako shouts as she chases the frog into the nearby living room.
Sanae is left speechless for a moment, but soon enough, bursts out into laughter.
Kanako watches silently, a small but warm smile sliding across her face.

[Hanzo K.]

It was pretty boring really, searching for the teacher. One would think that since he used to attend, he'd be able to find that distinctive hat of hers easily.
Unfortunately, he wasn't having very good luck...So, he decided he'd swing past the market area to pick up a snack, some steamed chicken buns.
A favorite of his that he'd forgotten to get earlier in the day, and was starting to get a craving for.

---Boys Are Walking to Market, Please be patient.---

As he stepped out of the shop in a relatively good mood with a bag in one hand, and a bun in the other, he caught sight of a familiar-looking blue hat.
He knew that hat anywhere, it was Keine's. He couldn't believe his luck, maybe she'd forgotten to do some shopping too?
So he decided he'd wander over, and maybe walk along with her to get the info he was after as she was doing her business.

"Oi! Been a while teach! Got a question. But if you've got something important going, we can talk as we go."


OOC: This good enough?

[Oldmansour]

Now that's uncalled for. Kohaku thinks to herself.
"I assure you, Saigyouji-san, I am no liar. I don't like when people lie to me, and I like lying to people even less. I'm the heir to the Daidouji jewelers of the human village, daughter of Hyo and Yumei Daidouji. I barely even know what the Hakurei shrine maiden is, outside of some damaged papers I found in this building. And nothing in there named ME as any kind of 'savoir of Gensokyo'. Somebody had to have made a mistake, and I'm not going to go around claiming to be something I'm not."
"Okay, it's true, I have some powers that other humans don't, and there's the.... Well, never mind about that. The point is, from what I read, the hakurei shrine maiden has to be some kind of hero, someone very special. That's not me. I'm no one special. I don't know how to be a hero."

Kohaku's malamute pal, for his part, pads over to stand by Youmu, the two 'guardians' flanking each other. His ice blue eyes settle on Yuyuko for a moment, then turn to Kohaku. A low, rumbling sound comes from his throat, punctuated by a sharp 'woof. The sound somehow has a scolding tone to it, admonishing. As if the dog was trying to tell his human friend 'Quit selling yourself short.' in his own way.
Kohaku may not be fluent in canine, but she has been around Hyozan for a number of years, and recognizes most of his tones. She sticks a finger out at the big dog. "And not one word outta you."

[Dorakyura]

Amaya talked to hasty without thinking. She saw the expression in Sanae's face and she felt guilty about her question. Something must have happened.
As Suwako chases her little frog and Sanae bursts out into a laughter, Amaya felt a weight lifted from her chest and starts to laugh aswell. Amaya takes the paper, puts it into the bag and picks the bag up. "I will put the groceries away then." She says and leaves the entrance room into the kitchen.
She puts the bag on the table and sighs 'I should thank Suwako-chan later, or stop feeding her frogs to Vin'
She emptys the bag and stow all the groceries away.

[Sonae]

The human and her youkai tour guide remain silent as they traverse the many corridors of the mansion. Without Meiling leading the way, Sora would more than likely have lost her way. As the pair walk, Sora?s mind begins to wander.

??here?
Sora blinks and forces her awareness back onto her surroundings. She glances around swiftly, finding Meiling standing in the same relative position as before.
??Um?? Sora mumbles, unsure of how to respond.
Meiling frowns slightly before speaking up again.
?We?re here? She says as she motions towards the door in front of her.
?Ah?I see?? Sora says, still feeling slightly uncomfortable.
?Well?? Meiling says as she scratches her head, averting her eyes in the process. ?Make yourself at home I suppose?? She says as she opens the door, motioning for Sora to go in.
The human hesitates for a moment, feeling slightly uneasy as she steps away from her guide.
?Okay, I have to head back to the gate now? Meiling says as she turns and starts to leave.
?Wait?!? Sora calls out to the departing youkai.
Meiling stops then turns to face the human
?Yes?? She says to the girl.
?Um?I don?t believe I caught the Mistress?s name?? Sora says, averting her eyes for a moment. ?Could you tell me what it is??
Meiling smiles slightly, seeming somehow reassured.
?Her name is Remilia. Remilia Scarlet?
Sora hesitates for a moment, digesting the information.
?Remilia?? She thinks aloud. Realizing she was about to fall into a daze, she shakes her head slightly. ?Thank you Meiling? She says with a polite bow.
Meiling smiles at the girl before turning and heading on her way.
After Meiling went out of sight, Sora smiles and closes the door. She turns her back to the door and gazes at her new dwelling.
?Well, I better unpack? She says as she places her bag on a nearby desk and begins to empty out its contents.

[Marokuu]

Sanaya waved at the teacher before turning around and heading off in the other direction. She peeked at the note she had been given and it confirmed what she had already been fairly certain of; to get to the shrine she simply had to head east out of the city and look for a trail, most likely overgrown.

"Well, guess I should get going." She says with a glance at the rapidly darkening sky before breaking into a very slight jog, not wanting to be late and miss something that might only happen once in her lifetime.

[Sonae]

---Hanzo

Keine turns her gaze in the direction of the approaching voice, a small frown spreading on her face.
?Let me guess, you want directions to the Hakurei shrine? She says, sounding only a little stressed.
Keine sighs and puts the bags she had been holding on the ground at her feet. She pulls out the same notepad from earlier, scribbles down the same directions, and rips the page out in the same fashion as before, albeit with a little more irritation.
By now, there was only the faintest amount of light residing on the western sky. Keine bit her lip lightly.
?Here, these are the directions to the shrine? She says as she hands Takuma the small sheet of paper. As he takes it she puts the notepad and pencil away and retrieves the bags that lay at her feet.
?If there?s nothing else, then I?ll be off? Keine says, ?I?ve got things to do and little time to do it in.? She says as she starts to walk away. As she passes by Takuma she stops and turns back towards him for a moment.
?Oh, and I?d prefer if you didn?t tag along? She says, finally turning and heading off down the street before disappearing into the darkness of the night.

---------

---Dorakyura

Sanae wipes away a joyful tear as her laughter comes to an end. She looks at Kanako with a smile.
Kanako smiles warmly in return.
With some reassurance, Sanae nods and then turns back to Amaya who is putting away the groceries.
Kanako silently leaves the room, heading down the hallway past the living room and out of sight.
Suwako glances up from her antics for only a moment before turning her attention back to catching the frog.

Sanae helps put the remainder of the groceries away, her daughter at her side. As they finish, Sanae mouths a silent sigh. She smiles and turns her gaze to her daughter.
?I?m going to go get ready okay?? She starts as she wanders to the Kitchen?s entrance. She smiles cheerfully at the young miko. ?You should get ready too? Just then her eyes brighten slightly. As she turns to head down the corridor which Kanako had gone, she casts one last sideways glance at her daughter. Smiling happily, she finishes her speech.
?We don?t want to be late for the feast after all?
With that she turns and heads out of the room and down the hall, leaving Amaya alone in the kitchen.

---------

---Sourfang

Yuyuko?s eyes narrow slightly as Kohaku makes her speech. Holding her folding fan up just so her eyes can be seen, she remains silent as Kohaku speaks.

Youmu for her part remains quiet, still looking confused. When the dog at her side lets out a sharp bark, the gardener jumps slightly, her ghostly half twitching as well.
As Kohaku makes a dramatic declaration at her malamute buddy, a short silence comes over the group.
Youmu glances from the human, to the ghost princess, and back again. Her eyes reflect an uneasy light as the girl hesitantly tries to speak up.
??um??
?Youmu?
The gardener swiftly straightens up, turning to face the Saigyouji mistress.
??Yes milady?? She asks earnestly.
Yuyuko?s eyes flicker with mystery before closing for a moment. She lowers her fan, closing it. Finally, she opens her eyes, a faintly devious smile on her face.
?Youmu~? She starts raising her sleeve slightly. A small laugh can be heard from the ghost, but only for a moment. She then turns her maroon colored eyes towards the human.
?Slash her~?
?Y- wait what?!? Youmu says as she reaches back before realizing what the command was. ?L-lady Yuyuko?? She says, worry filling her eyes.
Yuyuko smiles sweetly, an air of innocence in her eyes.
?Use your Hakurouken~? She says cutely.
?U-uhm?Are you s-sure??? Youmu says uneasily as she rests her left hand on the shorter of the two swords? hilt, Her eyes unsure, hesitant and slightly confused.

?Hey now! No slashing until after the feast!?

Just then a voice resounds around the trio and dog.
Yuyuko?s eyes shift to the far right while Youmu turns in that direction, her hand swiftly moved to the longer blade, gripping it?s hilt tightly.
Next, a sound of what seems to be a breeze comes from the right. Within moments, a swirling mist quickly gathers a short distance above the ground. As the mist becomes thicker, a shape begins to form from it.
From the mist appears a small girl with long orange hair. She?s wearing a purple and pink dress. Around her waist is a belt with chains attached to it. Similar chains hang from her hair and wrists respectively, each connected to a shape. She?s carrying a large purple gourd, and atop her head are a pair of large horns unlike anything Kohaku has ever seen before.
The girl lifts the large gourd to her mouth and takes a gulp, letting out a refreshed sigh of sort as she finishes.
The girl stands proudly before the trio, a grin on her face.

[Yog-N'yggoth]

 The man awoke on the house floor, laying face-up and staring at the ceiling. Judging from how he hasn't heard his sister calling him to wake up, she was already gone. He'll miss her, but he was glad that she went to go find herself; Some people just say they'll go out and try something new, and never do after all. She was always someone who just didn't feel alright with staying here, but couldn't do anything until she knew he could take care of himself. Truth be told, he was the one that helped her more often than not, having a steady job instead of working random errands. He slowly stood up, and went into the nearby room. He was already dressed up, he just needed the apron. He went outside the house, and in the nearby shack to get his mobile food stand. 

 He didn't have an exact place to set up shop. He chose a different place every time, from just outside his house, to even the other side of the village. Some of his main customers were annoyed by this of course, but he always recommend any nearby restaurants to them, which increased profits for them generally. Oddly enough, he always found one or two more customers coming to his stand whenever he did this.

 He had a nagging feeling that he should set up shop in the village square. But he already chose a quiet place to organize himself up, but eventually chose to at the very least, somewhere between the place he wanted, and the square. As he began, there was already many in the square, with more coming in.

 "Oh, ____, is there a special event today? No? What am I selling today? Oh just making some Yakitori..."

 He seemed to have a different menu every time he went out. After preparing one item, anything else felt more easy to make, he thought. He continued chatting with the passerby as they gathered to whatever they were going, as well as making the occasional sale or two. He didn't go in this business for the profit, but since it allowed him to stay in one spot while making idle chat with others. Oh well, it still was an alright trade, and he made a decent amount of money. Moreso after everyone went out of the square, absentmindedly buying something from him as they went back to what they were doing.

 "The weather's nice isn't it...Are ___ and _____ dating? Nah, I heard ___ wanted some dating advice from _____ for ____...Is there something wrong? Want to talk about it...Am I available? Sorry, my heart's in this food stand, although I believe ___ has his eye on you...Commotion in the square? Was anyone hurt?...Well if you're looking for a great place, you can always visit this one teahouse I know...I'm sorry, I'm taking a break now, but I'll personally deliver to you, so do you want anything at a later point?"
As the man walked to a quiet alley for a five minute nap after being finished, he caught the flying newspaper before it struck him, causing him to stumble a bit back. Maybe one day he'll go find that reporter and talk about that. He still has a minor headache after one fell directly on his head recently. Still, the paper was a good leisure read, and it only gets delivered once in a while, for him at the very least.

 And he could always use the more uninteresting articles as kindling or food wrapping, among other things. He made a quiet mental note to never mention this to the newspaper girl. Although maybe she'll appreciate the number of origami he did; The children seemed to like them at least.

"Let's see, that shrine, a new Hakurei Miko, oni, border between here and the outside world, hmm, a feast to commentate this, maybe I should bring something along?"

 He mumbled outloud certain points of interest in the main article as he laid on a wall. It wouldn't be a feast if everyone had to bring something, would it? But it always seemed like he took his own brand of sake to these sort of things. But maybe he'll make up his mind after he cooked some yakitori for some people who wanted it at a different point in time.


 He wondered what the Hakurei Miko was like. He didn't catch many details of the previous one from the older men and women, and had to ask for directions to reach it. Not that he was about go immediately, he had his night work to do. Going into yet another part of the village a bit farther from his original location, he set up shop again, this time with his own brand of drink for the feast later, and the  lanterns for light. He sat quietly, tending to the food when not closing his eyes, and while wrapped up in his warm blanket.

[Hanzo K.]

She didn't want him to follow? That was pretty weird. Usually teach was relatively friendly and helpful.
Though she always did have those weird times when she was a little...'off'. Oh well, at least he had what he was after.
He looked at the paper, and found that it was rather detailed, and the writing was quite neat, despite the haste it was done in.
'Teach always was good at this, but I wonder why she's so stressed today? It seemed like I wasn't the only one to ask from how she was talking.'
At any rate, the paper said it was slightly northeast of the village.
Apparently there used to be a path leading there at one point, so one could still find it if they looked hard enough.
He reasoned that this old path was likely the easiest way to do things, so he made for the eastern exit of the village.



OOC: This good enough, or do I need more?

[Oldmansour]

So much for this ghost being benign... Kohaku thinks darkly, her eyes not leaving the samurai with the sperm ghost floating about her. Hyozan, if we survive this, you and I are gonna have a very long chat about your sense of character.
She was practically beside herself when that crazy ghost told her partner to "Slash her". So CASUALLY, like she was ordering a goddamn meal! But this Daidouji will be DAMNED if she goes down without a fight, and that horned runt seems to have given her a fighting chance. It's been more than a year since her last spar with another person, but her skills and powers haven't atrophied. And more importantly, she's got the element of surprise, at least for now, with Youmu and Yuyuko being distracted by that girl with the gourd.

Despite the Saigyoji's murderous intent, Youmu doesn't seem to share the sentiment, making Kohaku somewhat reluctant to hurt the swordswoman. But that doesn't mean Kohaku can't disarm the swordswoman.
Kohaku snaps her left arm forward, sending a pair of chains flying out from her wrist, aimed not at the swordswoman, but at her swords. Her goal is to take the two katanas out of her sheathes, disarming her, but not doing any damage to her. That kind of precision takes a great deal of focus for Kohaku to pull off. She is very, very focused right now.

[CrowCakes]

As her father disappeared into the kitchen, following her mother, Kisei, who had been doing absolutely nothing but sitting like a sweet little kid, shook her sleeve and let another stolen apple roll off onto the table. She had been saving it for later, but realized that there would be a whole lot of other stuff to steal later and holding on to a measly piece of fruit wasn't quite worth it. Besides, she was going to check out the place and see if there was anything... interesting there, since old places aren't exactly pretty because they're all dusty and rickety and all that.

Thankfully, the kitchen and the way out were totally opposite each other, so she bolted out the dining room, into the living room, out the house, and into an alley. Emerging from the dark, narrow road, she took in the sight of the Human Village getting ready to accommodate the night and its supernatural visitors. Paper lanterns were lit, and candles blazed in the dark, inviting potential customers to the shops that were still open. There was still money to be made.

She weaved through the growing groups of youkai, still going as unnoticed as she was in the morning. Now, these bunch were a hard target. They were faster, stronger, and more alert than ordinary humans. They would know if someone touched them even if only with the pinky finger. They dressed a bit weird, too, like teacher Keine, and it made it harder to find anything of value on them. Speaking of which, that pagoda hat was nowhere in sight.

As Kisei made her way through the thinning crowd to the outskirts of the village, she encountered a tiny problem.

Where is the shrine?

And when she thought "tiny," she was every bit serious. Only darkness accompanied her outside of the village's open gate. She whirled back, but no one was following her. It wasn't the feeling of being stalked that alarmed her; she had weapons with her. Maybe this was the wrong way.

Putting one hand on the walls surrounding the settlement, she followed it north. From there, if she saw anyone moving into the forest, she would follow that person. As far as she knew, no one went out the village at this time of day anymore, and anyone who did now was either an idiot to steal from, a wannabe youkai hunter, a youkai, or someone going to the shrine for the feast.

OOC: Hoping for a run-in with Hanzo.

[Dorakyura]

"We are leaving so soon?" she says, but Sanae already left. She stands alone in the kitchen.
Amaya checks her clothes. 'Should I change my dress. It's quite cold at my back...' Her dress is too light and the night can be quite cold too. She leaves the kitchen and goes straight into her room and searches for piece of clothing in one of her lockers.
She pulls out something that looks like a kimono jacket. She inspects the cloth 'That should work'. The kimono jacket is quite ordinary. It's like the top of tranditional miko clothes.
In order to change clothes, she takes of her scarf, the detached sleeves and her vest. She can't wear the detached sleeves under the kimono jacket anyway. She puts the vest and the sleeves into the locker after she changed, then she takes her scarf and throws it around her neck once. Before she leaves the room, she checks if her clothes sits.
She walks back into the living room. "I'm ready." she says as she enters the room.

[Sonae]

---Sourfang

Within seconds the chains speed towards the half ghost noisily.
Youmu spins around, her eyes gazing sharply at the approaching attack. With almost lightning like speed, Youmu draws forth the longer of the two blades. She swings with deadly precision, deflecting the chains with ease. The chains clatter to the ground a distance away from Youmu. The gardener glares at her attacker, as if threatening Kohaku with her eyes alone.
?My?so hostile??
Yuyuko has risen to her feet, slightly surprised by the sudden commotion. The ghostly princess waves her fan before her casually, her expression showing signs of awe.
The horned girl gazes at Kohaku, her mouth agape, slightly surprised by the human?s unusual display of power.
Youmu?s sharp glare remains fixated on Kohaku, prepared should the girl attempt to attack her again.
Silence hangs over the group for a moment, feeling almost like an eternity.

---------

---Dorakyura

As Amaya enters the room, she sees Suwako and Kanako standing near its center. The pair turn towards the young miko as they notice her walk in. Suwako smiles at the girl while Kanako?s eyes show a hint of boredom. Amaya notices Kanako has her large shimenawa ring on. The goddesses greet Amaya with their gazes and continue to wait for Sanae.

After many minutes of waiting, Sanae came out from the kitchen.
?Sorry I took so long? She says with a bow. ?I was preparing a few things? Sanae says as she lifts her head, a bright smile on her face.
?So, if everyone?s ready?? Sanae starts.
?To the Feast! To the Feast!? Suwako cheers, raising her arms into the air as she dashes outside.
Sanae laughs lightly and smiles at Amaya before heading into the kitchen.
Kanako follows behind Sanae without much of a word.
It seems like tonight will be a fun night.

---------

---Sonae

??There!? Sora says as she finishes unpacking. She lets out a relieved sigh and smiles faintly. Now I should?
BAM!
The door of the room swings open and slams against the wall.
The human feels as if her heart tried to jump up her throat.
?Sora!? A familiar voice shouts out.
Sora slowly turns to face the direction of the voice.
At the door she sees the mansion?s Mistress standing proudly with a mischievious smile on her face.
??Y-yes..?? Sora asks, still trying to calm her frightened heart.
?Get ready? Remilia declares. ?We?re going somewhere?
?Eh?? Sora mutters, slightly dumbfounded. ?At this time-?
?No objections? Remilia says, effectively cutting the girl off. ?Get your uniform on, we?re leaving immediately?
With that, the Mistress steps out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.
Sora is left speechless for a moment, but eventually heaves out a heavy sigh.
It seems like tonight will be a long night.

---------

---Sourfang

After a few moments, Yuyuko turns to Youmu, her expression changing to one of faint surprise.
?Oh Youmu, what are you doing here?? She says with a clueless expression on her beautiful face.
Youmu nearly falls over at her master?s sudden question. Completely taken aback by the Saigyouji Lady?s question, the gardener lowers her guard unintentionally.
?L-lady Yuyuko?? She says as her confusion from earlier returns. ?W-what do you??
?Aren?t you supposed to be cleaning?? Yuyuko says as she steps down from the shrine?s veranda.
?E-eh?!? Youmu utters, a shocked expression covering her face. ?I was?!? Youmu asks, worry in her voice.
?Yes Youmu, You were.? Yuyuko says with a not so innocent smile.
Youmu seems to panic slightly for a moment, returning her katana to its sheath.
?How mean!? The horned girl laughs in a jolly manner as she lifts her gourd up and takes another gulp. ?You shouldn?t tease her like that you know? The girl says as she makes herself comfortable.
?Oh, who said I was joking?? The Saigyouji mistress says as she raises her sleeve to her mouth.
?Whatever you say? The horned girl says with a chuckle as she raises her gourd to her mouth once more.
Youmu?s face turns slightly red as she lowers her head and averts her eyes. Silence returns, but only for a moment before Yuyuko speaks up again.
?Sho Youmu, you?re getting better at this? She says casually, munching on something
Youmu lifts her head to see that Yuyuko has moved back into the shrine, now sitting at the table, eating some of the snacks that the duo had brought
?Ah..! Lady Yuyuko!? She says as she rushes over to the Ghost princess. ?Those are for the feast!? She says with a whimper of sorts.
?It?s fine isn?t it??
The horned girl speaks up, a grin spread across her face.
?Let her have them. It?s about time anyways? She says as she leaps up energetically. Taking another mouthful from her gourd, she smiles at the trio. Then, she raises her gourd into the air.
?Let the feast begin!?

---------

---Time Skip Initiated---
Date: 28th of March, Year 160. Early Spring
6:03 P.M.   --->   6:32 P.M.

---------

By now, the sun had completely vanished from the sky, leaving only darkness in its wake. A silvery moon hung up in the sky, watching over Gensokyo silently. Stars sparkled from their place high above the heavens, creating a beautiful field of mysterious wonder. If not for the commotion at the once abandoned Hakurei shrine, one would likely think it would be a magnificent night for star gazing.
For the first time in to many years, lights surrounded the shrine grounds, illuminating the area.
Yes, the feast had begun. The first one of it?s kind in more than a decade.

---------

---Orphea

Keine walked along the empty street in the quiet residential sector. She observed her surrounding as she headed towards her destination.
She closes her eyes and thinks to herself as she moves closer to her goal. A warm but faint smile covers her face for a moment. Feeling relieved, the teacher opens her eyes and continues on.

Eventually Keine sees her destination.
On the side of the street, between other, larger homes, was a small house.
Keine glanced into the window to see only darkness.
?Geez?? She mutters to herself, a frown spreading on her face. With a sigh she turns to the door. She raises her hand to knock.
Just then she spots a newspaper lying on the doorstep.
Hesitantly, she picks it up and glances at the header. She mumbles it inaudibly before putting it into her bag. She turns her attention back to the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
?Yumiko! Are you there??

[CrowCakes]

Kisei ran around the shrine grounds, inspecting anything she had not seen before. No one thought much of a kid who didn't look like she got past puberty yet. She found nothing worth taking.

The offeratory box was unguarded, but disappointingly empty. Maybe there was somebody watching her peer into it, but none that she could see. There were also her parents, who were not there yet but were probably worried sick at her premature departure.

It was actually a miracle that she got here earlier than they did. She had to circle the village walls twice before someone left, and they seemed to be following a path long erased from the ground. There were dangerous youkai on that path, she heard, more dangerous than those around the village. She swore they were watching her as she had run across.

No one brought money for her to steal. That was fine. There were probably better things in the shrine. A horned girl- an oni, most likely- was sitting by the entrance of the shrine itself, and Kisei tried not to look at her so as to not draw attention.

In the shrine were several objects that would not look out of place in an antique shop. Practically useless, but can fetch for a lot of money.

OOC: Feel free to scare the heck out of Kisei. Her parents won't arrive until my next reply.

[Yog-N'yggoth]

...Quiet, very, very quiet.

 Hotaru went along a gone path, her arms behind her head. This tiny trip gave her much time for thought. Too bad she was too busy focusing on just the scenery. She didn't see anyone else ever since she went out of the village. Maybe they went to the feast?

 She made a sigh and continued on. Maybe that mountain would have something of interest.
"So _____ are you going to the feast as well...Ah if you're going that way, mind giving this to...Am I? Of course..." the nighttime shift felt just like the daytime to him, just darker. After a bit of quiet rest with no one buying, he closed shop and went back home.

 Hideaki left his stand back home, completely finished with his job. He didn't have much on him, just his personal sake and dish, and of course his blanket. Placing the lock on the door, he made a slow stroll to the exit of the village.

 There were many in the path, but he took a more hidden path to the shrine. He memorized the directions enough to go find a different route while staying on-track. He found a couple dead ends yes, but that was just another memory for a later walk.

 Eventually, he managed to reach the shrine itself. The feast had already started. He was more curious about the building than what was going on in the feast, so he strolled on in without any real intent. Curiously enough, there was a girl there already.

 "Oh, are you the new miko?" Hideaki asked her.

[Orphea.Russ]

---Orphea

Keine walked along the empty street in the quiet residential sector. She observed her surrounding as she headed towards her destination.
She closes her eyes and thinks to herself as she moves closer to her goal. A warm but faint smile covers her face for a moment. Feeling relieved, the teacher opens her eyes and continues on.

Eventually Keine sees her destination.
On the side of the street, between other, larger homes, was a small house.
Keine glanced into the window to see only darkness.
?Geez?? She mutters to herself, a frown spreading on her face. With a sigh she turns to the door. She raises her hand to knock.
Just then she spots a newspaper lying on the doorstep.
Hesitantly, she picks it up and glances at the header. She mumbles it inaudibly before putting it into her bag. She turns her attention back to the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
?Yumiko! Are you there??

(Now that I'm actually home, and not cold and wet and miserable,)
She snapped her attention to the door to her room when she heard the knock sound throughout the house. She could reasonably guess who it was, even before she heard the voice; nobody else visited her. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going." With a sigh, the book snapped shut, and she hurried downstairs to the door, which she slid open. "Evening, teacher." She quickly shifted to the side of the door and gestured for Keine to come in. "Make yourself at home. Something you needed...?"

[trancehime]

He was going to be late! Late, late! And all because of that girl! Senri was rushing about getting ready past the insistence of his mother Youko who was most likely going to 'stalk' him as well, but at this point, Senri didn't care. He found himself wearing a rather ornate furisode kimono that would almost make someone think "someone's getting married!" but it was that kind of aura that made things all the more festive. In his case, anyway. He pitter-pattered along outside his room, completely ignoring everything else, the clattering of his geta quite audible at this pace. Youko was leaning against the wall by the door when Senri had left his room, and she opened the door for him, uttering only two words.

Have fun!

Senri sighed and scuttled off outside, and Youko had left the door open for a few moments. The boy made his way enroute to the Hakurei Shrine, having received word that a feast was taking place. The sun was already setting and it would be incredibly dark, perhaps the sun would be gone by the time he made it! Youko herself had watched Senri leave the residence, but soon left the house herself after she felt Senri was far enough away from the house. She giggled along the way, and on the other end, Senri had an immediate feeling that he was being stalked.

......

...

..

.


Senri had finally made it to the Shrine, it was indeed very dark; the sun had been replaced by a silvery moon, accompanied by the celestial soldiers that scattered the night skyline. Senri would have taken the time to take a look and go stargazing, but now was neither the place nor the occasion for that. The feast had already begun; purportedly the first one in way longer than a decade, Youko herself could not recall the last one, either she was drunk out of her mind or it was really so long ago. Senri took the time to look around, the long sleeves of his kimono billowing about in the wind, it was white in color, very conspicuous, and very noticeable. Indeed, one would think "are you trying to go guy-hunting?" but it would be the complete opposite. The boy looked about frantically and saw someone fidgeting about with the offering box before looking disappointed and rushing into the shrine. Must be a thief. Senri sighed to himself before simply trying to mingle about.

Meanwhile, Youko had arrived at the shrine too, though concealed, through use of her trickery.

She was watching over him. Definitely.

[Amraphenson]

"And here, you'll see, is a perfect demonstration of just how reliable our wares are..."

He didn't want to do this. He really didn't. Despite how cheerful and friendly he looked, Tetsumaru hated being a living advertisment for his dad's merchandise. But alas, he was a dutiful son and would do as told. And his father told him to sell stuff, seeing as pretty much everyone would be there.

'Sitting in seiza for so long is a pain...'

He spotted Senri, distinctive as he was, and refrained from calling the effeminate boy over. It would be bad if he got caught slacking off by his dad. Tetsumaru sincerely hoped someone would relieve him of this boredom.

[Hanzo K.]

'Just how many stairs were there?!'  That was what was going through his mind at that time.
But there was one thing he noticed. Everyone had already gotten set up and the party was already underway.
Well, if there was one thing festivals meant, it was that they were just bigger parties.
And parties meant booze. Booze meant people would be more prone to wanting to fight, which suited him just fine.
After all, he was hoping to find a way to let off some steam sooner or later, he just hadn't thought there would be a festival or anything so soon.
He could tell that there were already some pretty damn powerful folks here already, maybe that lady from earlier would even show up? Who could tell in this crowd though?
But for now, he'd just linger at the massive Torii, and take a few swigs out of the jug of sake he brought along, just because that was quite a walk compared to his usual one.
He did however, notice a few faces that looked somewhat familiar.
'Hey, even some of those people from the square earlier today are here. There's that kid who was causing some kind of fuss, looks like she's up to something. And there's some of the others too.'
He then saw Tetsumaru's predicament, and winced slightly before taking another swig. 'That looks painful, glad I don't have to sit like that all the time, definitely not limber enough.'