Hatate Quest

[Hello Purvis]

>Peer inside.
>"Oh, we come whenever we take the notion. But like I said, mostly I'm just following Momiji today. Mind, crow reporters are also a topic of discussion. I'm rather wondering if anyone has heard of Aya's whereabouts recently."

[Oldmansour]

>Peer inside.
>"Oh, we come whenever we take the notion. But like I said, mostly I'm just following Momiji today. Mind, crow reporters are also a topic of discussion. I'm rather wondering if anyone has heard of Aya's whereabouts recently."

>You glance past Gen and down into the building below. The room below you appears to be a rather open place, short of decoration. Wood pillars support a ring-shaped upper level that looks down upon what you assume is a room used for sparring or training of some sort. It has that feel about. You can see two White Wolf tengu below, talking with each other. The taller one has he back to you and carries a gleaming halberd like a walking stick. Her long hair is jet black, as is her tail, which is exceedingly rare for a white wolf. The other wears her white hair in a long braid, and has a naginata strapped to her back.

>"Aya, huh?" Gen considers than, then shakes her head. "Sorry. Last I heard, she was still out investigating those plant things that showed up last month." He shrugs. "'course, that doesn't mean she didn't come back. Oichi'd know, she's the officer in charge of this post for the next week." He grins again. "They keep me kinda low on the food chain."
>"Oichi?" Momiji says with a slight frown. "How did she get promoted?"
>"Orders from the big wings." Gen replies, referring to the Dai-tengu. "I guess one of them liked her style. Or something."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'll be sure to ask."
>What was the last word on the plant things, anyways?

[Oldmansour]

>"I'll be sure to ask."
>What was the last word on the plant things, anyways?

>"She's out on patrol right now." Gen informs you. "We all take turns making the rounds, but I think she didn't want to be indoors anymore." He leans in a bit closer again. "Don't tell anyone it was me who said it, but she's a strange bird. Pretty creepy."
>"So who's in charge while she's on patrol?" Momiji asks.
>"Juma."
>Momiji smiles with some relief. "Ah, so she did make it in this morning."
>"Oyah." Gen replies, his head bobbing in a nod. "She was a bit drunk at first, but she threw herself in the creek a couple of times, that took care of that."

[O4rfish]

>We still don't know wherethe plants came from? Did anyone ask Yuuka?

[Oldmansour]

>What was the last word on the plant things, anyways?

>We still don't know wherethe plants came from? Did anyone ask Yuuka?

>Information on the plants, called Rageblooms, has been a bit sparse. Momiji reported that they were caused, indirectly, by a group of new arrivals to Gensokyo, the residents of a place called the Cobalt Keep. They plagued all of Gensokyo, so far as she and Aya could determine, but the tengu, with their sensitivity to the winds, were more susceptible to their rage-inducing spores than other races. You know Sanae was responsible for destroying at least one of the things.
>The purpose of Aya's journey was to get to the bottom of them. It's entirely possible she went to speak with the frightful Youkai of the Nameless Hill, but if she did, you aren't aware of it.

[Hello Purvis]

>Did we ever get a faceful of spores?
>"No further word of the spores, I hope?"

[Oldmansour]

>Did we ever get a faceful of spores?
>"No further word of the spores, I hope?"

>You did in fact. But fortunately, since you were indoors at the time, you didn't get as bad a dose as many of your neighbors. You were in a toweringly bad mood for.... Actually, you're not sure how long, you didn't care about the time, you just kept getting more and more angry, and the fact that you didn't know why only made you angrier still. Had things kept going, you probably would have started breaking things.
>And then, all of a sudden, all that anger went away. Moments after that, your stomach heaved, and you vomited a mass of viscous red fluid that reeked like boiled blood, and was a bit of a bitch to clean up. Fortunately, it didn't stain. You were told that every tengu affected by the spores had a similar experience after the Rageblooms were destroyed. Everywhere you went reeked of the stuff for two full days afterwards.

>Gen shakes his head. "It's been all quiet on this front for a week. Haven't had any intruders, spore or anything else, since that armored youkai came around a week ago."

[O4rfish]

>Another scoop! Aya is going to be paruparu when she hears about this!
>"Armored youkai? Who was that?"

[Oldmansour]

>Another scoop! Aya is going to be paruparu when she hears about this!
>"Armored youkai? Who was that?"

>Oh, it feels nice to have a lead that Aya doesn't...
>Gen grins broadly. "Think that'd make a good story?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Smile. "Maybe if you tell me a little more?"

[Oldmansour]

>Smile. "Maybe if you tell me a little more?"

>"Well, m'lady, I'd be more than happy to." He says, as he bows with a dramatic flourish, giving you his best smile. "Perhaps you'd like to join me for a drink, and I can you the whole story." The handsome young man's inviting smile falters a bit as he looks to your right, where Momiji stands, giving him a somewhat disapproving look. "What?" he asks plaintively.
>"Must you, Gen?" she asks him, the voice of a school teacher admonishing a tardy student.
>"Aw, lighten up, captain, I'm only asking her to have a drink with me."

[O4rfish]

>Wink.
>"Sounds fair ... but the deal's off if someone else gives me the info first. And the bar won't open for several more hours."

[Hello Purvis]

>Don't wink. We don't need to lead the poor schmuck on that much, it's just mean.

[Oldmansour]

>Wink.
>"Sounds fair ... but the deal's off if someone else gives me the info first. And the bar won't open for several more hours."

>Don't wink. We don't need to lead the poor schmuck on that much, it's just mean.

>You decide not to practice your winking skills on the handsome young Wolf.
>Gen's grin returns. "You really haven't been out here before, have you, m'lady? No guard post on the mountain is complete without a deep liquor cabinet. Matter of fact, I even managed to bring in a good crate of Hasekura's Reserve a couple days ago."

>The drink her refers to is a whiskey brewed by a Long-nose tengu family of note in the business. It's praised for its rich, smoky flavor and its powerful bite. It is also rather expensive.

>"And it even managed to survive this long?" Momiji asks, plainly teasing the lad.
>With a look of dismay, Gen replies, "Juma hid the key."
>"Very well, evidently."
>"I found it!" Gen protests. "... Eventually."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Tempting, but I do have work to do."
>Are we a problem drinker, or can we walk away after a glass or two?

[Oldmansour]

>"Tempting, but I do have work to do."
>Are we a problem drinker, or can we walk away after a glass or two?

>"Aw, and I thought I could give you a story." Gen replies with some exaggerated disappointment.
>"She has one, Gen." Momiji informs the youth. "And that's why we're here."
>"Oh. Well, can I help you?"

>You can definately walk away after a glass or three. You enjoy a good drink, but you know your limits, and when it's time to pay the tab and go home.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Mmm, maybe."
>Grin
>"You wouldn't have happened to work as a housecleaner, would you?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Mmm, maybe."
>Grin
>"You wouldn't have happened to work as a housecleaner, would you?"

>That makes the cocksure wolf tengu's grin waver a little bit, but he recovers after a moment. "I can mow a mean lawn." he retorts.

[O4rfish]

>Do we have a mean lawn?

[Oldmansour]

>Do we have a mean lawn?

>You think your lawn is quite friendly. But in terms of appearance, it's not much beyond a basic lawn. With a couple trees in it.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Shame my yard is so amicable, then."

[Oldmansour]

>"Shame my yard is so amicable, then."

>Your comeback is rewarded with a boisterous laugh, then Gen gives you another dramatic bow. "M'lady, you're clever as you are pretty."
>Momiji gives the lad a tolerant smile, then folds her arms once more. "All right, Gen, why you don't you get back to work, and let us get back to ours."
>Gen cracks her a grin. "If you say so, captain." He gives you another bow, a smaller one, more polite. "I hope we meet again, m'lady."

[Hello Purvis]

>Chuckle.
>"I hope you're a subscriber, if you're gonna be saying things like that!"

[Oldmansour]

>Chuckle.
>"I hope you're a subscriber, if you're gonna be saying things like that!"

>"I can't say I've ever been big into newspapers." the young man says. Then he grins again and gives you a wink. "But then again, I always like trying new things."
>"Scoot, you." Momiji orders with a sardonic smile. Gen laughs again, then takes to flight, his tail wagging behind him.
>Momiji offers up a tolerant sigh. "Probably should have warned you about him."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, but there's worse, shall we head in?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, but there's worse, shall we head in?"

>Momiji nods. "Many a true word. Gen's a good enough boy, but he gets a bit carried away when he sees a pretty girl."
>"Sure."

>As Gen flies off in a westerly direction, you and your friend descend through the skylight into the training room below.
>As you descend, the naginata-armed wolf bows formally in your direction. "Good morning, captain Inubashira. Good morning, lady Crow."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Good morning, but just call me Hatate. And you are?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Good morning, but just call me Hatate. And you are?"

>"My name is Juma, ma'am. .. Sorry, Hatate." she corrects herself with a smile. "Juma Motonari."

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's a pleasure. I assume you were the one that was sparring with Gen a moment ago?"